Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat
by Dagmar Buse
Summary: In response to Vespera's challenge, a series of 40 vignettes depicting scenes or events in a couple's life. Warning: No particular order to the chapters. UPDATED!
1. GreenEyed Monster

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Power Rangers, the characters and anything related; MMPR Production/Disney does. (More's the pity.) I just like to play in the universe._

_**Note: **This is in response to Vespera's "Ranger Romance Themes", and it's – guess what – Jason/Kat. J I know PunkPinkPower has started the same challenge before me; I like reading her series, and this is in no way meant to step on her toes; I just wanted to see if I could do the subject justice myself and if I could deal with the short format (hey, you guys know me – Queen of the PR Epic! -grins-) for once. Plus, both Vespera and Panache pestere-, uh, encouraged me. :-) I'll try not to copy PPP's themes, so I won't be rereading her stories. (Doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to her next installment, though!)_

_Anyway, these are written in no particular order; I'm going at it in the sequence my Idiot Muse® is presenting them to me. On with the fun, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out? And Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, everybody!** DB, December 2005  
**_

**Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat**

**Green-Eyed Monster **

**By Dagmar Buse**

I can't believe I'm jealous.

I always thought I'd be above this. Too mature, too sensible, too understanding of other's emotions, especially Kat's. Well, and Tommy's, but that's neither here nor there. Really, trust me on that. Jealousy is such an _ugly _feeling, making you bitter, and mistrustful, and a whole other bunch of bad stuff. In other words, I'm plain uncomfortable. And that's putting it mildly!

What's more, I'm not jealous in the ordinary sense. I _know_, in my very bones, that Kat, my wife of three years, would never, _ever _look at another guy, much less do or even _think_ anything that smacked of deceit.

No, I'm jealous of my own son.

There, I've said it.

That beautiful baby, whom I love to bits myself, whom I _wanted _as much as anything, has become an intruder in the cocoon of our marriage. How bad is that?

What does that make me? An insensitive jerk and idiot, that's what.

Took me a while to identify what I was feeling; it's not exactly the thing a guy likes to admit about himself. I mean, come on – how low is that, resenting the time, love and attention a new mother is bestowing on her first child?

And yet, I can't help myself.

Take last night, for example. Our son is three months old now, and I thought that this small landmark would be perfect to have a little celebration for us parents. Nothing fancy, just dinner at a good restaurant, a moonlight walk in the park, maybe, and some quality time for the two of us afterwards.

Yes, I was thinking about what you're thinking. So what? Kat is more than just a mom, she's still my _wife_, and a beautiful, sexy woman whom I want very much. Even with those few, left-over-from-pregnancy extra pounds on her hips. Actually, I find that rather appealing; she's softer now, extremely pleasant to hold and caress, and … ahem. You really don't want to know, okay? Use your imagination if you must.

So I bought a spray of one of Kat's favorite orchids on my way home from work, and suggested my plan to her. After all, it's not as if there aren't two perfectly willing and capable grandmothers in town who are just dying to have their grandchild to themselves a whole night. I'd even made sure that either one would be free.

So where's the problem? Why am I out in the back yard, venting my frustration on a pile of wood by chopping it into firewood with a vengeance instead of taking the love of my life out to dinner and some serious loving afterwards?

Well, I hadn't counted on Scott Junior to get diarrhea.

Nothing serious; just some slight reaction to the applesauce our pediatrician suggested we introduce to his diet. (God help me, I find myself even getting jealous of the times Kat's nursing the baby! As wonderful as the sight of her with our baby at her breast during the first days of his life was and still is, now I sometimes want to say 'hey, kid, that's _my _toy you're playing with!' Not that Kat is a plaything in any way, nor that taking the most beneficial, natural nourishment in the only way our baby knows how is meant to slight me, but … ah, you know what I mean, I'm sure. Get your mind out of the gutter already, okay?) As a result, he's fussy and crying a lot because he's got slight cramps, and needs constant changing - even more than usual. I can't _believe _we've almost used up a whole package of diapers in one day! Poor kid ...

Anyway, back to my grand plan. Perfectly reasonable, right? Maybe even romantic? That's what I was thinking when I whispered into Kat's ear.

"Let's go out tonight, love. Dinner at Le Petit Bistro, a walk in the park … just you and me, the way we used to."

To Kat's credit, I could see she was tempted. Very much so. I could tell by the way her eyes turned a deeper blue, by the smile curving her soft lips and by the way she melted into my arms. And when I kissed her, she kissed me back with as much longing as I was experiencing.

But, no.

"I can't, Jason," she murmured. Regretfully, yes, but I knew she meant it.

"Why not?" More kisses, and a little, um, hands-on persuasion. Didn't work. Damn.

"You know why."

I did – well, I suspected – but that didn't make it easier to accept.

"Please, Kat … it's been so long since we've been out together."

She hadn't liked to go much of anywhere the last couple of months of her pregnancy. Sitting for long stretches was uncomfortable, she didn't feel particularly attractive (no matter how often I told her she looked beautiful), and the constant need to be close to a restroom kind of put a dampener on things.

"I know, and I really want to go out with you someplace nice, but not tonight. Not when Baby isn't feeling well."

"Kat, I'm sure both your mother or mine know perfectly well how to deal with a few soiled diapers. After all, they've been there, done that – with _us_."

"Yes, but … I can't. I'm truly sorry, Jason, but … it just wouldn't feel right."

Man, I'd been looking forward to this so much! Only to be stopped practically at the gate by Kat's maternal instinct. Frustration didn't even _begin _to cover what I felt right then.

"Dealing with the runs feels more right than spending quality time with me – your husband?"

Foot, meet mouth. You're going to have a long, intimate relationship.

I could've bitten my tongue the moment I'd said that. I _knew _Kat didn't feel that way, that she honestly thought it was more important for her to stay and look after our baby during the first time he was unwell, but the words slipped out before I could stop myself. I bit the inside of my cheek almost hard enough to draw blood, but it was too late. The damage was done.

Kat just looked at me as if I'd slapped her. I could see tears welling up in her eyes, but somehow – no idea how she managed it; it has to be one of _the _most heroic things I've seen her do, and trust me, she did a hell of a lot of them as a Ranger, as a woman and as a wonderful human being – she didn't cry. She just disengaged herself from my arms without another word and crossed the room towards the staircase. Before she went up to our son's room – the poor little tyke was already starting to fuss again; probably had cramps in his little tummy again, or something – she turned and gave me a Look that made me feel like the worst heel that ever lived.

"No. Not tonight." Then she vanished upstairs.

And that was very definitely _that_.

So here I am, reducing what feels like a whole redwood tree to firewood. Judging by the amount of logs I've chopped, we can feed the fireplace until the kid graduates high school. Or until I die of frustration, whatever comes first. I'm soaked with sweat, and my back and arms hurt like there's no tomorrow. Man, not even duking it out with Goldar all those times managed to exhaust me like this!

But all the exertion has served its purpose, I guess. My head's gotten a little clearer, and I can see Kat's refusal for what it was – not a rejection of _me_, of our love, but the care and concern of a new mother who's taking her responsibilities towards a helpless child very, very seriously. As all mothers should. If I'm being honest, I wouldn't want it any other way.

It's only natural that a husband has to take a step or two back when a newborn is involved. Right now, our baby needs his mommy far more, and far more immediately for his oh-so-basic needs like food, warmth and security, than a man needs his wife. At least for a while.

I'm an adult. I can wait. The time _will _come when Kat can look beyond being a mother, and become my best friend and confidante again. And my lover. Yeah, I'll admit it – it's that part of our marriage I miss most. But then, I don't have to get up in the middle of the night, _every _night, to feed and clean a baby, nor do I have to deal with the plain _physical _effects of having been pregnant, given birth or nursing. No wonder she's too tired, or maybe just not in the mood. Besides, in a few years I'm sure it'll be _my _turn with our son – when I'll start teaching him martial arts, and football, and take him hiking, and fishing, and do all that wonderful other guy stuff with him that Kat probably finds a little boring. Until then, though, it just needs a little patience and understanding on my part.

I can be patient if I have to. Hell, I _do _have to!

I just wish it were easier. Only ... how does that saying go? Good things don't always come easily. And deep down, I really wouldn't want it any other way; I know I appreciate things more if I've worked for them. I just never imagined I'd have to work at our _marriage_! Guess life isn't like the movies, after all -- no happily-ever-after without some serious work. Which, come to think of it, I don't really mind all _that _much. Because the rewards are more than worth it.

So, what do I do now that I've gotten things sorted out in my mind?

Stack all the logs I've chopped into the shed, for starters. And while I do that, try to think of a way to apologize to my lovely wife and make her believe that I didn't mean what I said. One generous helping of crow, coming up.

"I love you, Kat."

Saying it out loud, even out here in the garden, where she can't hear it, helps.

"I love our son."

That helps, too.

And love is a much more positive emotion than jealousy.

This particular green-eyed monster is more dangerous, more insidious than any of the freaks Rita, Zedd, Mondo or Divatox combined could throw at us. We've survived all of them, beaten them into dust or shattered them into a million pieces, and grown stronger because of it. Hell, our very love has been founded on what we've seen in each other while battling monsters! I'm a fighter; I can, and will, fight this.

But I've only won my first battle; on now to win the war!

_To Be Continued ... in other vignettes!_


	2. Friends

_**Disclaimer: **Not mine, no money made, blahblahblah...  
**Note: **Second in my version of the series. :-) Set right after the Zeo episode King For A Day II, it marks (to me) the beginning of the relationship. Enjoy, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out? Happy Holidays everybody – again! **DB, December 2005**_

**Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat**

**#2: Friends**

**by Dagmar Buse**

At the door of the Olivers' house, Tommy turned towards Jason and Kat. The two had insisted on going home with him, but he was more than ready for a long, hot shower and some serious sleep – both of which he'd have to do on his own. He dredged up a weary smile.

"Thanks, guys. For everything."

"Anytime, Bro," his best friend smiled back. The words might be casual, but Tommy knew that the dark eyes held barely-concealed concern. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "After about three weeks of R&R, anyway."

"Too bad you can't have three weeks," Kat said lightly, but she, too couldn't altogether mask the worry she was still feeling. If you knew what to listen for, it was evident in her voice and the way she was not quite hovering over him. "We have a history test tomorrow, remember?"

Tommy grimaced. "Yes – and I wish I didn't."

"You and me both." Jason grinned wryly. "Which reminds me – I'd better go home and study at least some, or Ms Appleby will fry my butt."

"Mine's gonna be toast anyhow; I'd planned on studying tonight, but …"

"But you're in no condition to do so," Kat interrupted firmly. "One D isn't going to kill your GPA, and you can always make up for it next test."

"I just hope I can sleep," Tommy muttered, almost too softly to hear.

Instantly, Jason slipped an arm around Tommy's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. It wasn't quite a hug, but came close. "Worried about nightmares, Bro?"

He just shrugged. It was all the confirmation Jason needed. "Want me to stay over?"

The offer was tempting, but Tommy declined after only a moment's hesitation. "Nah. I'll manage … as usual." In a weak attempt at humor, he added, "Besides, I dunno what's worse – dreaming about being back in Prince Gasket's arena, or having to listen to you snore."

Jason snorted, amused and slightly reassured. If he could still crack bad jokes, Tommy wasn't as badly off as he'd feared. "Hey, you could also be dreaming of taking Kat to the Stone County Mall for season's end sales!" As he'd hoped, that provoked snickers all around – even if Kat was vainly trying to look offended.

"I'm not _that _bad!"

Jason assumed a supremely innocent expression. "'Course not."

"If those are my choices, I think I'll take the shopping," Tommy murmured through a jaw-cracking yawn. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than fall into his bed and sleep for as long as he could – dreams or no dreams.

Jason did a comically-exaggerated double take. "What? Are you _sure _the brainwashing was completely reversed?" he asked suspiciously while Kat giggled.

Tommy grinned. He might be dead on his feet, but he could still tease with the best of them. And Jason and Kat were the _very _best. "Well … at least, Kat's prettier than Gasket," he deadpanned. "Or you. Not that that's saying much, but …"

Kat, who had blushed at the implied compliment, gasped in amused outrage. "Oh! You …!"

"Better quit while you're still at least marginally ahead, Tom," Jason chuckled. "Come on, Kat –Tommy's clearly too whacked to think straight. Or knows what he's saying. Maybe he'll make more sense tomorrow."

She sniffed haughtily. "Hmph."

"Yeah, I have my doubts, too, but it's worth a try, don't you think?" The Gold Ranger's face might be smiling, but the dark eyes held an unmistakeable message – one that Kat knew she would've been telegraphing herself in another minute if Jason hadn't beat her to it.

"Pffft. _I'm_ going home. _You _will come with me," she ordered Jason. "And as for _you_, Mister … go get some sleep!" she said imperiously, pointing with her finger up to Tommy's bedroom window.

"Yes, ma'am," the young men chorussed obediently – Tommy with a decidedly sheepish expression, as he suddenly couldn't stop yawning, and Jason with a barely-suppressed laugh. He _loved _it when his female teammates got all maternal on his friends. _-Unless they're ganging up on me, that is!- _

"Goodnight, Bro. I'll see you tomorrow," Jason told Tommy, and found himself drawn into a surprise hug after all. A little embarrassed, but mostly pleased, he returned the brotherly embrace. "Sleep well."

"You, too, Bro."

Without thinking, Tommy turned and offered the same hug he'd just given Jason to Kat. "Thanks, Kat." Before he could change his mind he kissed her soft cheek. "You were great."

She colored prettily. "Thanks, Tommy. You're welcome." This was more, _much _more than she'd ever hoped for. _-Tommy just kissed me!- _Sure, it had just been a quick peck on her cheek, not a real _kiss_, but still … for this alone, she'd let him off the mall season sales hook. _After _she'd let him sweat over it for a while, that is. "You. Bed. NOW!"

"Right. Until tomorrow then." With a tired sigh, Tommy shuffled towards the front door, waved once at his friends, then disappeared inside the house. Kat and Jason stood watching until, moments later, the blinds were drawn in his window.

"He'll be dead to the world in five minutes or less, or I don't know him," Jason said quietly. "Come on, I'll walk you home; there's nothing more we can do today."

Katherine just nodded. "I guess not." Slowly, the two wandered off down the street. "Are you sure he'll be okay?" she asked Jason presently.

He gave it some thought. "Eventually, yeah," he replied. "I mean, it'll probably take awhile; ever since Rita and Zedd worked him over back when, Tommy's been kinda freaked by not being in control of his own mind – and this was worse than anything those two ever did to him. But he knows we'll be there to help if he needs it."

Kat sighed. "Sure – but will he _ask_ for help? You know how stubborn he can get."

"If he doesn't, there are ways to _make _him talk," Jason said simply, then gave Kat a look. "And you know them as well as I do. Don't you?"

Even if Billy hadn't told him how hard Kat had worked to aid Tommy in getting past the anger and hurt Kimberly's Dear-John letter had caused – and Jason still didn't know where that had come from; he strongly suspected there was another reason than what she'd written, and one day soon he'd find out the truth from her – Kat's actions during the past two days had proved without a doubt that she was well aware of how to find and press Tommy's buttons.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure," Kat murmured. Her earlier elation over Tommy's kiss had given way – again – to self-doubt and insecurity. She'd fallen heads-over-heels for the dashing White Ranger the moment Rita had sent her after Tommy, but until now, she never had had any inkling that he regarded her as more than a replacement Pink Ranger, his teammate … a friend at best.

When Tommy had disappeared from the lake so suddenly, she had acted purely on instinct, doing her best to get him back once Billy and Zordon had found where he'd been abducted to. That she was putting her life and the team in danger when she'd demorphed in Prince Gasket's arena hadn't mattered at all; she only thought to bring Tommy back where he belonged. In his right mind, on the side of Good, with his friends.

And the one person who'd backed her all the way, been at her side every step, was walking beside her now, his powerful, black-clad body a reassuring presence in a world that, due to their 'day job', sometimes could go topsy-turvy in an instant.

Kat snuck a peek at Jason. She hadn't known him all that long, but he was fast becoming a fixture in her life – the rock on which all of them relied to a greater or lesser extent. _-Much like Billy, really. Tommy may be the team leader, have the charisma, but Billy is the voice of reason and the guy to calmly fix things that go wrong … and Jason is the Big Brother we all wish we had. Protective to a fault, ready to offer help or advice, but always ready to hold back, to let us make our own experiences.-_

It had astonished her how quickly and completely Tanya had trusted Jason during the crisis with her parents; that her very practical, down-to-earth friend had been willing to trust the 'new' guy with the key to Auric's tiki had been the best indicator. _-And Tanya's a pretty good judge of character. Well, except for her one lapse with Shawn,- _Kat mused. As for herself … she'd been prepared to like Jason based on his reputation as the first Red Ranger and just because he was Tommy's best friend, but she was fast coming to the conclusion that she wanted him as _her _friend, too. And not only because he'd supported her while searching for Tommy these past few days, or been only a fraction of a second behind her in the arena.

Jason had realized, as she'd done, that only the true sight of his friends might bring Zeo Ranger Five back to his senses. They never communicated overtly, or consciously made a joint decision, but a quick glance had been enough. Luckily for all of them, their stratagem had worked and Tommy had recovered.

She was brought out of her reflections by Jason's deep voice. "Trust me on that."

"I do," Kat acknowledged quietly. Something in her voice made him look at her questioningly, and she elaborated. "Trust you. And not just because you're on the team, or because you went along with me. I trust you because … just because."

"Um, okay. I guess." Jason smiled slightly. It wasn't the best explanation he'd ever heard, but some part deep within him understood _exactly_ what Kat meant. "Thanks. It's mutual."

"Thank you."

"We're friends, then? I mean, not just because we both, um, play on the same team, or like Tommy?" He winked at her, letting Kat know that he'd taken notice of her feelings, but not in a way that made her uncomfortable.

_-Weird. If Rocky had said the same thing to me, I'd be impersonating the Red Battlezord by now!- _No, it seemed more as if the two of them were sharing a secret just between themselves … and it felt great. There was only one answer she could – and wanted to – give.

"I'd like that."

"Great!"

Both started to grin like silly children. There was a whole lot of things that could, and probably should, be said on this topic, but Kat suddenly realized that they had walked nearly all the way to her parents' house. She stopped at the beginning of the driveway. "Oh. We're here," she observed inanely.

"Right," Jason answered, seemingly as perplexed by the circumstance as she was. For a few seconds, the two stared at each other; both wanted to continue the talk they'd begun, but neither knew how to bring it about. Then, imperceptibly, the moment passed. Jason shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Listen … I'd love to talk to you some more, but I _really _need to study," he murmured. "On how we can help Tom if he _does _end up having nightmares, I mean," he added hastily. "Can we maybe do it later?"

Kat experienced a curious mixture of regret and relief. Choosing not to examine the dichotomy further, she just nodded. "Same here. Shall we both take rain checks?"

"Please."

"Okay then."

There was nothing else to say … or possibly too much. Deciding that a strategic retreat would be the wisest course, Jason cleared his throat. "Good night, Kat," he said as neutrally as he knew how.

"Good night, Jason," she replied, striving to match his tone. "I'll see you at school?"

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye."

About to leave, Jason turned unexpectedly, reached out and gave her a hug. "You were terrific today," he whispered into her ear. "Demorphing as you did … that was probably the bravest thing I've ever seen."

_-Oh Lord. Kat shouldn't feel so good in my arms!-_

Flattered and pleased, Kat didn't pause to think and thanked him for the honest compliment with a tiny kiss.

"Thank you. You were pretty brave yourself," she replied.

_-Oh my God. Was that a static shock I just got? It must've been!- _

"I'm glad you're my friend."

_-And that's all we'll ever be! Kat's exactly the kind of girl I used to dream about, from her looks to her personality. But she's clearly in love with Tommy; I can't butt in on that. If I'd only been back from Geneva when she moved here! But I wasn't, and now … now, I can maybe have Emily instead.-_

Which wouldn't be a bad substitute at all, Jason told himself as he released the blonde girl. Meanwhile, he'd be content to be Kat's friend.

"Ditto," Katherine managed to reply, slightly numb from surprise.

_-Oh my. I'm glad he's willing to be just friends. If he weren't … how could I ever choose between Jason and Tommy? They're both everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend – strong, brave, intelligent, drop-dead gorgeous … and I'd better stop thinking about Jason in those terms right now. Or I'll be in deep trouble. I want Tommy, not Jason. Tommy. End of story.-_

And maybe she could convince herself of that in time. She summoned a bright smile from she knew not where. Friendship would be a nice, _safe_ substitute.

"Bye," she repeated, and almost ran towards the house. To her relief, her mother's appearance at the door provided a welcome distraction. But she did look back once, and gave a small wave in farewell. Jason acknowledged the gesture by raising is hand in an almost-salute, then strode off.

As he walked down the street towards his own block, a line from an old song came unbidden to his mind and he started to hum under his breath. _'You've got a friend …' _

Which wasn't such a bad place to start.

For her part, Kat just stared at her mother when she idly asked about her companion. How could she not see – not know?

"That's Jason. He's my friend."

And that was a good place to start.


	3. Gift

_**Disclaimer: **Same as usual.  
**Note: **My Idiot Muse® is officially about to get killed. After all, it's not as if I haven't two long fics in progress already that need updating, no, it's also only two more days until Christmas. (Germany, remember? Our Big Event is on Christmas Eve!) So, I'm **BUSY**! But nooo, the dratted critter insists on coming up with more of these. Argh! So here we go again … enjoy, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out? **DB, December 2005**_

**Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat**

**#3: Gift**

**by Dagmar Buse**

_-What am I doing all alone in a dingy hotel room in Chicago on Christmas Eve?- _

The thought had been running through Kat's head all day, ever since she'd entered the coffee shop down the block, had been hit by the scent of spruce and spices and been bombarded with Christmas carols wherever she went. Even her usual diversion of doing touristy things and people-watching in a new city had failed; too many ventures were closed for the holidays, the shops were too crowded, and people on the streets were far too intent on last-minute errands to provide any interest.

So, she'd fought her way through the crowds in a nearby shopping center to get the few things she needed and had returned to her room. She'd sorted her clothes, organized her luggage and, after buying a light lunch, had curled up on her bed with a book she'd meant to read for ages. _-At least the mattress is halfway comfortable for once!-_

But the novel could barely hold her attention; only as long as she was munching on her sandwich and apple. Feeling lonely and a bit depressed, she'd decided to inspect the courtesy bottles of grooming products in the bathroom and instead of showering had indulged in a long soak in the tub. It hadn't been much fun; while the warm water and perfumed foam had relaxed her muscles, Kat would've preferred the luxury of her mother's jacuzzi at home, with soft music, a few dainty nibbles and a glass of wine. _-And definitely NO carols!-_

Alas, it was not to be. She was on tour with a ballet company, had been for the past three years since she'd graduated, and a special holiday gala performance was scheduled tonight. Afterwards, the tour manager had reserved a table at a good restaurant for the troupe; they _would_ have a nice dinner, but it simply was no comparison to the comforts of home. And while Kat liked her colleagues well enough, their company couldn't make up for missing her loved ones.

_-Mum and Dad. My friends. Jason.-_

She sighed as she finished blow-drying her hair and smoothed the long tresses into a tight ponytail at the back of her head. She dreaded having to wear the wig that came with her costume, but that was just one of the drawbacks of belonging to a company with no permanent theater. Another one – the one that had stranded her by herself in Chicago right now – was that they got to perform on dates when the regular personnel got to take time off to spend with their families. Like tonight, on Christmas Eve.

There was still a lot of time to kill before she had to leave for the theater, so Kat climbed back onto her bed. She wasn't in the mood to pick up her book again, she had learned not to eat or drink too closely before a performance, and she _definitely _wasn't going to watch TV; the ubiquitous holiday programming would only remind her more of what she was missing.

Her small travelling alarm clock showed 3.45pm – which meant it was a quarter to one back home. What would her family be doing right now?

_-Mum … Mum will be stuffing the turkey, getting it ready for the oven; Dad is laying the table, putting the wine to chill, and they'll be leaving for church in the afternoon, to enjoy a quiet evening before the barbecue -- with shrimp! -- tomorrow. The gang … everybody who's in Angel Grove right now will be meeting soon at the Youth Center or Adelle's to exchange presents before joining their families.- _A parcel with the gifts they'd sent her had been waiting at the reception desk when the ballet company had checked in two days ago; she'd open them over room-service breakfast in bed the next morning. _-And Jason … Jason'll be at home, with his parents. The Scotts always attend the midnight service, so maybe he'll be wrapping last-minute gifts in his room …-_

Kat sighed longingly as she pictured her fiancé at his desk, fighting with colored paper and ribbon. Jason wasn't the most gifted person when it came to this kind of thing, but he _did _put a lot of effort into it, always slipping a pretty tag, ornament or just a twig of holly under the bows. His present to her had been Fed-Exed to her last stop, just so he could be completely sure she would have it in time for Christmas. Smiling softly, she opened her nightstand drawer and took out the small box wrapped in pink metallic foil. There was a gift tag, an adorable white fluffy kitten wearing a Santa hat, attached to the thin gold ribbon, and the loving message he'd written made her go all mushy inside.

_-Oh, to hell with the cost!-_

Before she could change her mind, Kat reached for the phone and dialled Jason's number. After only two rings, he picked up.

_"Hello?"_

"Jason? It's me."

_"Kat! How are you? Are you okay?"_

She laughed softly. "Yes, I'm fine, worrywart. I just wanted to talk to you."

_"Oh, okay." _She heard him chuckle in return, and the longing to be with him grew. _"Thanks; it's great to hear you, too. How's Chicago?"_

"Cold. Wet. It's been snowing off and on, but it's more slush than a picture-postcard White Christmas."

Jason's grin was apparent even through the static of the phone line. _"Well, the last proper White Christmas I had was in Geneva. It's raining here, kind of a drizzle, but at least not too cold."_

"I'd take that over this miserable excuse for weather anytime," she said plaintively.

_"Poor thing," _he commiserated. _"But you didn't call me just to exchange weather reports, did you? At least I hope not."_

"No, silly! I told you, I just wanted to hear your voice."

_"Aww." _She had to giggle at his absurdly pleased tone. _"Did you get your present?"_

"Yes, I'm holding it right now." Kat shook the small box lightly, but couldn't detect any significant noise from within. "Love the tag."

Jason laughed. _"Thought you might. Did you look inside yet?"_

"No – I wanted to wait until tomorrow …"

_"Oh. Aren't you curious at all?" _he teased. Usually, Kat could hardly wait to open her presents.

"Truthfully? I'm dying of curiosity," she admitted. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight; the guys have sent me presents, too!"

_"I know – I met Tanya at the post office when she mailed it. I think you're gonna love your gifts – especially Kim's."_

"Really?"

_"Yup. But I'm not telling."_

"That's mean," Kat pouted. "Not even a hint? Pretty please?"

_"No way! I want to live until next year!"_

She had to grin at that. Kimberly could be quite formidable when someone crossed her plans – and her present had come with an enormous warning sign not to open it until Christmas morning, or else. "Chicken!"

_"Yeah, well, I have plans for next summer," _Jason said, his voice dropping to an even deeper level. _"Big plans – and they all involve you, love."_

"I know," Kat whispered, shaken by the warmth that reached out to her across the distance, cloaking her in safety and caring even through a scratchy phone connection. "I have the same kind of plans."

How could she not – as both their plans centered around their wedding? He'd be finished with college in May, and provided he could get the job he wanted, they could finally be together when her contract ran out soon after.

_"Good. Now open your present," _he told her.

Oh dear Lord, she wanted to!

"It's not Christmas yet," she felt compelled to protest, however.

_"It's Christmas Eve – and somewhere in the world, people are already exchanging gifts, I'm sure. Go on, open it."_

"I really shouldn't …" But Kat could feel her resolve melting faster than the snow outside.

_"You want to, don't you?"_

"Yes …"

_"Then open it. I'll hold."_

"If you're sure …?"

_"Positive."_

"Okay." Tucking the receiver between her ear and shoulder, Kat realized her fingers were trembling as she untied the neat bow. She had to force herself not to tear the paper, but as she finally unfolded the thin layers, she found a small black box inside. _-From a jeweller? Oh my!- _She lifted the lid and couldn't help a small gasp of pleasure.

"Oh!"

_"Do you like it?"_

Tears were blurring her vision as she took a delicate gold chain from the dark-red velvet. Dangling from it was a penny-sized heart-shaped pendant with a tiny diamond winking in one corner.

"Like? No – Jason, I love it! It's lovely!"

_"Not as lovely as you. Merry Christmas, my heart."_

"Thank you. M-merry Christmas to you, too." Words were so terribly inadequate; Kat wanted nothing more than to hurl herself into Jason's arms right then and express her surprise, pleasure and gratitude with the longest kiss _ever_. The feeling intensified a hundred times as she looked at the back of the pendant – Jason had had "Love, Forever. J." engraved on it.

"You shouldn't have," she choked; she knew that Jason didn't have a lot of money. _-He must've worked extra shifts at Rocky's dojo after classes to afford this!- _

_"It's only eight-carat gold and a diamond chip," _Jason admitted. _"I wish it could've been more – you deserve so much better – but …"_

"Don't you _dare _apologize, Jase!" Kat interrupted him. "I love my present because it's beautiful and … and just _perfect_, because _you _chose it for me, and I wouldn't change it for one of Liz Taylor's gazillion-carat rocks! Thank you _so _much!"

_"Are you sure?"_

"Absolutely, and if I were there with you, I'd show you exactly how much!"

_"I'll hold you to that when you come home," _he murmured softly, giving her words a deeper, more intimate meaning that made Kat blush with pleasure and a shiver of desire. _"Rain check?"_

"Definitely." Kat knew how to put a passionate promise into a single word, and was rewarded with a soft, sharply-indrawn breath.

_"It's a date then."_

"Count on it."

Down the hall, a door banged, the sound barely muffled by distance. It wasn't all that noisy, but it broke the charged mood between the two. Irritated, Kat glanced at her alarm clock and was dismayed to see how much time had passed.

"Oh damn," she sighed unhappily. It wasn't really ladylike to swear and would probably shock her mother, but for once she didn't care. _-Dammitall!- _

_"What's the matter?"_

"I've got to get ready," she grumbled. "If I'm not downstairs in half an hour, I'll miss the transport to the theater. We're having a last rehearsal before the performance."

_"Oh." _Now it was Jason's turn to sigh. _"I understand. Take care then."_

"I will … you too."

_"Sure. Break a leg, love."_

"Thanks."

_"I miss you."_

"Miss you, too." Suddenly, tears threatened to fall full force. Kat knew that if she stayed on the phone any longer, she'd have a full crying jag – because she was feeling lonesome, bored, because she missed home and Jason so much … and that would be disastrous for the upcoming performance. _-Oh, HELL!-_

All she could do was whisper into the phone. "I love you, Jase."

_"Love you, too. Bye."_

"Bye …"

Both hesitated for a few seconds, then hung up almost simultaneously. Sighing deeply, Kat replaced the receiver in its cradle, slipped from her bed and finished dressing. Her bag was already packed with a change of clothes for dinner afterwards; all that was left to do was to put her small make-up case on top, and she was ready to go.

She was about to tuck her new necklace back into the drawer for safekeeping when she hesitated. She'd packed a fuchsia-colored V-neck top for later; it would be the perfect setting to wear the pendant. There was one girl in the ballet who'd likely scoff at the modest piece of jewellery, but Kat didn't care.

Jason's gift might not be worth much monetarily, but the sentiment behind it was priceless. Yet the most invaluable gift Jason had ever given her – and it was one she knew would be hers for the rest of her life – was threefold: The freedom to follow her dream, to be a dancer on stage while he finished his studies and they could start their life together as husband and wife. His trust, that even though they'd been separated for long months each year while she was on tour with the ballet company, she'd remain true despite numerous temptations. And lastly, his love.

With a determined nod, she stepped in front of her mirror and fastened the chain around her neck. The gold gleamed softly against her skin, and the diamond chip blinked back at her in a tiny rainbow of color. A brilliant smile lit Kat's face.

_-The perfect gift indeed!-_


	4. Dare

**_Disclaimer:_**_Not mine, no money made, yadayadayada ...  
**Note: **Fourth story in the series. Idiot Muse® won't let it alone … oh well. They're short (well, sorta – for me, anyway) and fun to write. So, enjoy, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out? Happy New Year, everybody! **DB**_

**Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat **

**#4: Dare**

**by Dagmar Buse**

"What do you expect me to do, just pick up the first guy to come along who's asking me out, let him kiss me goodnight and all will be well?" Exasperated, Kat flung herself onto the couch beneath her window.

"What if I do?" Tanya challenged her as she leaned against the vanity in Kat's room.

"You can't possibly be serious!"

"Don't bet on it, girlfriend. Maybe I'm not expecting you to follow precisely that scenario, but you certainly have got the general idea right!"

"That – that's preposterous!" Kat sputtered. She no longer knew whether to be amused, outraged or plain shocked at Tanya's suggestion.

"Says who?"

"Every sane person, that's who!"

"Right. And your behaviour over this has been perfectly sane, has it?" Tanya muttered.

"Give it up, Tanya. I'm not in the mood for this – and even less in the mood to go back on the dating circuit anytime soon," Kat sighed, her expression once more shifting to the despondency that had provoked her friend into starting this particular argument. Again.

"I really don't see what would be so wrong if you stopped moping around," Tanya said. "What _would _it take to snap you out of it, anyway?"

"Nothing you could possibly do or say," Kat declared as firmly as she could.

"Oh yeah?" Her sarcasm seemed lost on Kat, and something about the whole sorry mess made Tanya lose all patience. Her friend was behaving worse than in High School when she was still pining after Tommy, and that thought gave Tanya a truly crazy idea. It was totally juvenile, but if it worked … it'd definitely be worth it. Before she could have second thoughts, Tanya confronted Kat.

"I dare you!"

Kat stared incredulously at Tanya. Her best friend stared right back at her, dark eyes flashing.

"Dare me to do what?"

Tanya hid a triumphant grin. Had she _finally _succeeded in jostling Kat out of her funk following her break-up with Tommy?

"Go on a date. With a nice, decent, good-looking guy you can actually have a conversation with, not some loser you're just feeling sorry for. Someone who might conceivably _like_ you. Get kissed again. And _enjoy _the experience."

Almost speechless with confusion and shock, Kat shook her head helplessly.

"What?"

"You heard me." Tanya said sternly. It wasn't the kind of advice she usually doled out, but in her considered opinion, it was high time her friend stopped thinking about what had been and started looking for what might be.

"But … but I can't do that!"

"Why not? Give me _one _good reason!"

"I …" There was none, and Kat knew it. Flustered, she closed her mouth. "I just can't," she still protested. _-And why do I sound so wimpy when I say that?-_

Deciding on another tack, Tanya sat down next to her friend and hugged her.

"Whyever not, honey?" When Kat just mutely shook her head, the blue eyes filling with tears, she sighed. "Look … you told me your break-up with Tommy was a mutual decision, right?"

"Y-yes," Kat sighed. "We just don't have that much in common anymore; not after three years of being separated and without our Ranger duties. We thought we could make it work, but … we couldn't. There was just no use in pretending anymore."

"Okay. So let's take that as fact – it's over. That was how long ago?"

It really shouldn't have taken any time at all to come up with the correct number, Kat felt, but to her surprise none was right at hand. Mentally, she tallied the time. "Um … three months and eleven days," she answered at last.

"What, no precise timeline down to hours, minutes and seconds?" Tanya teased gently. "Girl, two weeks ago you wouldn't even have to _think _about how long since you separated. I think you already _are _on the mend, you just don't want to admit it!"

The blonde just looked away, afraid she'd have to confirm … and unwilling to deny. _-Because I just might be lying …-_

Tanya knew when to let things rest; sometimes, just sowing a seed was enough for a person to arrive at the conclusion you wanted them to. She let go of her friend and put on a little show about having to be elsewhere soon. Not surprisingly, Kat didn't try to hold her back.

When the girls said good-bye to each other at the door, Tanya grinned at her friend.

"So, are you taking my dare?"

"In your dreams," Kat smiled weakly. "I _might _consider dating again sometime in the future, but certainly not the first guy to ask me out."

"Oh, I dunno; it could actually be fun," Tanya winked. "Seriously, though – I really don't expect you to date just anybody, turn into a nymphomaniac, or something. I only want you to start _living _again instead of merely vegetating."

"Hmph. That's better, but not by much."

Exasperated, Tanya stepped into the driveway. "Just think about it, okay?"

"Maybe."

With that vague promise, Kat watched her friend climb into her car and drive away.

•••

"Tanya dared you to do _what_?"

Jason nearly choked on his iced tea. He had called Kat to meet for dinner after their respective classes – he was teaching part-time at Rocky's karate school to earn money for college, and Kat was once again substitute-teaching at Angel Grove High while she was waiting for replies to the various applications she had sent out to ballet companies across the country. It was a habit they had gotten into after Kat's return from London, since it was a rare weekend when more of the group was home and/or had free time. Now they were sitting in a quaint little Italian restaurant, sharing pizza and salads.

"To go out with the first guy who asks me, accept a good-night kiss and enjoy it to boot," Kat explained once more, taking a bite of her salad. After she'd swallowed the morsel, she sipped her own drink. "I really didn't know whether to laugh in her face or strangle her for even suggesting such a thing. As if I'd ever do that!"

"Er, no, I can't really see that," Jason murmured. The mere idea was beyond preposterous … and more than a little disturbing to his peace of mind.

He'd been attracted to Kat pretty much from the moment he'd met her – by her looks, her grace, her nature and the core of steel she usually hid under a layer of ladylike sweetness. However, her attraction to and later involvement with Tommy, his best friend, had kept him from making any kind of move on her … and his own relationship with Emily was another powerful deterrent.

Jason Scott did not cheat, period. Not on his girlfriend nor on his friend, whether in thought or deed. Not even when his own relationship ended with a bang over Emily's assumption that he'd forego college, take a job and move in with her practically right out of high school. When Jason refused, declaring that he planned to put himself through college with as little help from his parents as he could and as few student loans as feasible, she'd stormed out in a huff, leaving him sad, slightly shocked and bemused, but hardly heart-broken. Instead, Jason had mourned what might have been for a decent interval, then gone on with his life.

He'd completed a year's worth of classes in twice the time, working when and at whatever he could, concentrating on his future – namely, finishing his education and getting a teaching degree.

When Kat and Tommy called it quits earlier in the year, he'd commiserated with both of them, but Tommy was busy with his racing career which often took him away from Angel Grove as well as provided the distraction he needed from his personal problems. Thus, by default, he'd ended up being Kat's confidant as much as Tanya, often giving her the male perspective on what might have gone wrong in her love life.

True, hope had reared its head once or twice since the break-up, but Jason could see Kat was still carrying a large torch for Tommy; there was little sense in forcing something which might, after all, exist only in his imagination. They were friends; that had to be enough.

He was jerked out of his musings to the here-and-now again by Kat's voice.

"Well, _thank _you. That's more like what I expected from Tanya, not such a hare-brained idea."

"Hey, I'm sure she meant well, at least," he soothed her ruffled feathers.

Katherine sighed as she finished her salad and pushed her plate away. "I know that. It's only … why can't she let me go on at my own pace?"

"Probably because she cares about you and wants to see you happy," Jason suggested. "And … no offense, Kat, but all of us could see that you were anything _but_ happy these past few weeks."

The blue eyes glared. "Excuse me for not dancing for joy when my relationship of three years just fizzled out for no real reason!"

"I didn't say you had to," he defended himself.

"It certainly sounded like it!"

"I'm sorry if I came across that way," Jason apologized. There were a few things he wanted to explain, but was momentarily unsure whether he should. The mutinous, even stubborn look on the pretty face decided him, though, and he forged on as gently as he could. "What I meant to say was … Kat, we understand that you need time to get over your split with Tommy and that you were hurt by it all, but we didn't expect you to practically bury yourself inside your room. You wouldn't go out at all for weeks, not even when the girls just asked you to go to a movie with them; you didn't come to Rocky's birthday party, and as for anything else … every suggestion to take your mind off things was shot down by you. You either flat-out said no, gave us a vague 'maybe' or just didn't show up at whatever we'd planned." He paused and finished his tea.

"Can you really blame Tanya for losing patience? How _can _she – or any of us – help you, if you won't let us?"

Across the table, Kat squirmed and felt herself blush as blinkers she hadn't even known she was wearing suddenly disappeared from her eyes. She wanted to hotly deny everything Jason had just said, but in all honesty couldn't. She _had _rebuffed any and all overtures of help from her friends. When Aisha or Tanya finally managed to corner her at home one time and tried to get her to talk at least, she hadn't really listened to them … and instead spent the time moaning about her lost love.

_-And that's putting things mildly; if I'm perfectly honest, I haven't been grieving, I've been whining. It's a miracle my friends haven't washed their hands of me yet!-_

"W-was I really that bad?" she mumbled, suddenly mortified.

"Sometimes," Jason agreed gently, a smile softening the rebuke.

_-Ouch.- _

Out loud, Kat groaned and covered her flaming cheeks with both hands. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Don't be." Jason reached out and drew her hands onto the table top, gripping her fingers firmly in his own large hands. "We understand."

And that was the simple truth. Looking into the dark eyes watching her so warmly across the table, Kat knew that she needn't feel ashamed of what she'd put her friends through with her behaviour these past three months. They hadn't given up on her, just tried again and again to coax her out of the shell she'd crawled into, and would be there for her when she was ready to face the world again. _-Or, as Tanya put it, when I start living again.-_

She gave the one friend sitting with her a somewhat wobbly smile that was nevertheless the most genuine expression of joy she'd been capable of in far too long.

"I know. Thanks." She swallowed, then allowed her smile to grow a little. "I promise, I'll be better from now on."

With a final, careful squeeze, Jason let go of her hands, released a long breath and grinned.

"Good. Now, was that so very hard?"

"You have _no _idea," she murmured, but deep inside her heart there was a lightness that she hadn't felt in quite a while. "But I guess I needed someone to talk some sense into me."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?

"Yes, but you guys went above and beyond by being so patient with me. Especially you and Tanya … you're the best."

Jason looked pleased at the compliment, and accepted it gracefully. "Thanks. "

There was a brief pause during which Kat toyed with her napkin. "Who helped you when you broke up with Emily?" she dared to ask after a while. Jason had never really talked about it, but knowing him as she did, it was obvious that he hadn't just shrugged things off lightly.

"Mostly Billy," he replied after a moment's hesitation. "He'd gone through something similar with Cestria, so …"

"Oh, right; I remember."

Just then, the perky high school girl who'd served them appeared at their table and somewhat noisily began to stack their dishes. "Can I bring you folks something else? A refill, or dessert, maybe?"

A glance was enough between them. "No, thank you. Just the bill, please?" Jason requested.

"Sure. Back in a mo." The girl bustled off.

Jason reached for his wallet before Kat could snap open her purse. "Don't bother; tonight's my treat."

A little flustered, Kat looked up. "But …"

He grinned and winked. "Consider it your reward for finally letting one of us nag you out of your funk," he teased.

She pouted prettily. "Well, if you put it _that _way – how can I resist? Thanks."

"Welcome."

Once outside, Jason draped a friendly arm around Kat's shoulders. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

It was a pleasant thought; somehow, Kat didn't want the evening to end yet despite the bit of soul-searching she'd ended up doing. However, she still felt obligated to protest.

"You don't have to …"

"I know, but I want to. Gotta walk off some of the calories, y'know."

That made her laugh. If there was anyone who could afford to eat a hearty meal without any regrets, it was Jason. She cast a slightly mocking glance at his hard, admirably flat stomach. "Right. Because you're so fat."

"Hey!" His offended look made her giggle, and the two strolled off towards Kat's house, teasing each other all the way. As they turned into the quiet street, Jason once more brought up their earlier conversation.

"I still can hardly believe Tanya dared you to go on a date again."

Kat nodded. "Not only that, she practically stipulated I had to let myself be kissed, too."

"It's a wonder she didn't tell you who the lucky bastard had to be, too."

Kat snorted, now more amused than angry. "No. The only thing she said was that the guy had to be …" she paused to recall her friend's exact words, "… 'nice, decent, good-looking and able to hold a conversation'. Oh, and of course he'd have to be the first one to ask me out."

Jason laughed as an idea occurred to him. "Heh. Technically, that'd be me."

The blonde girl at his side stopped in her tracks. _"What?"_

He looked at her sideways, eyes twinkling. "If you remember, I _did _call you and ask whether you wanted to have dinner with me tonight. And going out to dinner _is _what people usually do on a date, right?"

"Um, yeah, I guess," Kat replied a little warily. She hadn't seen it in that light, but technically, Jason was correct.

"Well, I like to think that I'm kinda nice and decent, and we _did _have a conversation," he continued with a grin. "Can't say for the 'good-looking' part, though …"

_-Oh, definitely!- _was Kat's immediate reaction. She'd always admired Jason's dark good looks, which were so different from Tommy's … and yet somehow a little similar. And she'd only confessed once to Tanya during a sleepover that she'd been tempted more than once to even drool a little over his physique after a day spent on the beach. Of all her male friends – who _all _were eye-candy to any red-blooded girl – Jason was the one who stood out. But of course she couldn't say that out loud, could she?

Fighting the need to clear her suddenly constricted throat and hoping that the gathering darkness hid her tell-tale blush, Kat tilted her head. "You'll do," she conceded.

Jason prayed that Kat wouldn't notice how hard his heart was beating all of a sudden – or how sweaty his palms were getting. He'd fantasized once or twice about kissing Kat, but had never entertained any serious hope that it would ever happen. After all, Kat had never shown any interest in him that way. It was wishful thinking on his part, nothing more.

"See? So the next time you see Tanya, you can tell her you've accepted her dare and, um, done the deed, so to speak."

"I suppose I can," Kat mused, a slow smile curving her lips. "Boy, will _that _throw her for a loop!"

"At the least, it'll get her off your back, I think." _-Of course it's not going to happen. Get a grip, Scott. No way a classy girl like Kat will let me or anyone else kiss her on a first date. Dare or not. And calling tonight a 'date' is stretching things anyway.- _He tried not to let any disappointment seep into his voice.

Oblivious to what was going through her companion's mind, Kat did a little jig of glee.

"It sure will. Thanks, Jase!"

"Welcome."

Kat looked up at him. "Of course, I wouldn't be _entirely _truthful," she murmured mischievously.

He was confused. "Huh? How so?"

"My date has to kiss me good-night, too, remember?"

Jason gulped. Kat couldn't be serious, could she? If it had been any other girl – Tanya, Aisha, even Kim in her more playful moments – he'd have bet her words were an invitation to do just that. But Katherine? The demure, ladylike Kat? _-No way!-_

"Er … so?"

She thought it was adorable how flustered the usually self-controlled young man seemed. It made her just slightly reckless.

"Well, aren't you?"

"Aren't I … what?" _-She doesn't mean it! She can't possibly mean it! … Can she?-_

Apparently, Kat could. And did.

"Kiss me, silly," she stated, trying to sound matter-of-fact about something that inexplicably sent her pulse to racing. _-I didn't just say that! Oh my, I did!-_

Jason coughed. He'd only meant to tease, to cheer Kat up by calling their dinner a date. He might have wished it to be real, but had never really expected things to take a turn this way. But somehow, completely out of the blue, it seemed as if he just might get his wish. _If _– and it was a very big if – Kat decided to go through with Tanya's dare.

"Don't tempt me," he said hoarsely.

Kat's breath caught. _-Tempt him? Can I really? Do I want to? … YES!-_

"What if I want to?"

It was Jason's turn to inhale sharply. Almost against his will, he stepped closer to the blonde, drawing her loosely into his arms.

"Be very sure this is what you want, Kat," he murmured. "I'm up for a lot of fun and games, but this isn't something I play with."

Any fear Kat might have felt evaporated as she gazed into his suddenly-serious face.

"Neither do I."

With a small groan, Jason pulled her completely into his embrace. His mouth sought hers, and they kissed – tentatively at first, but with growing passion soon after. They only stopped when the need for oxygen became overwhelming for both.

Breathless with excitement, a myriad of emotions swirling inside her, Kat's eyes were brighter than the stars overhead as she stared at Jason.

"Oh my." _-Maybe it hadn't been static shock after all when he hugged me that first time after Tommy got brainwashed!-_

"Yeah," he agreed, panting slightly. _-She does feel as good in my arms as I remembered. No, better!- _Their kiss had been everything he'd ever dreamed about, and more. Dare he hope it wouldn't be the last one – the only one?

Only one way to find out. Slowly, giving Kat every opportunity to withdraw, he kissed her again … and to his surprised delight, she met him more than halfway. They stood on the sidewalk for a long time, lost in each other as they explored their newly-awakened feelings through kiss after kiss.

Some unspecified time later, Jason walked Kat the rest of the way to her house, closely entwined and her head on his shoulder. When they reached the front door, he gave her a proper good-night kiss.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he promised huskily.

"Mmm. I'll be waiting," she purred. Jason chuckled softly and touched her cheek.

"Good-night, Honey."

"'Night …" More kisses.

Regretfully, Jason released her at last. "The way things are going, I may have to send Tanya a thank-you note," he whispered into Kat's hair. "If she hadn't dared you … I'd never have dared to kiss you."

Kat smiled, basking in the warmth of Jason's arms around her back. She hadn't felt this light and happy for longer than she cared to remember.

"If Tanya hadn't dared me, I'd never have asked you to kiss me." _-But boy, am I glad I dared to!- _"You know, I never really planned on going through with it, but … when you first said that we kind of _had _been on a date … I kept thinking of one thing." She smiled lovingly. "An old adage, really. But somehow very fitting."

"Oh? What's that?"

"'Who dares, wins'."

Jason smiled back and bent his head for one last kiss.

"In that case, I'd say we've both won."


	5. Game

_**Disclaimer: **Someone else's sandbox; I'm only playing here.  
**Note: **Idiot Muse® is at it again. This time, he's picked up a plot bunny that has been hopping around for quite a while, hoping to get adopted. Well, as I was going through the list of themes, that cute, fluffy little tail proved suddenly irresistible, and here I am. J It's a racy little critter, though; be warned! Bunny insists it really ought to be NC-17, but I'll try to keep it in check … enjoy, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out? **DB, January 2006**_

**Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat**

**# 8: Game**

**by Dagmar Buse**

"The mail's here."

Kat looked up from the morning newspaper. "Anything interesting?"

Jason strolled into the kitchen, riffling through the assortment of flyers and envelopes. "Let's see … junk, junk, bill, catalogue, bill … junk … oh, a letter from Billy! So he _does _still know how to use a pen instead of email," he grinned at his wife. "More junk … my monthly martial arts magazine, a postcard from your Aunt Naomi in Melbourne, and a letter for you from the National Ballet Association." He handed Kat a small pile of mail, poured himself another cup of coffee and joined her at the kitchen table. "You gonna eat that?" His hand was already reaching for the last cinnamon roll.

Kat smiled. "No, go ahead." She discarded a number of advertisements as he munched happily on the pastry, laid aside an application that should've gone to the school instead of her home address, and sliced open the envelope with the Ballet Association's logo. Quickly, she scanned the message.

"Oh, it's an invitation to the annual symposium," she exclaimed. "For once, they're holding it at a hotel in Las Vegas, and it's during summer break, too!"

Jason glanced up from Billy's letter. "Hey, that means you can attend this year," he commented. "Vegas isn't too far away to drive, and since it's during vacation …"

"If you think you can do without me for a three-day absence over the weekend, I'd love to," she mused.

"Shouldn't be a problem. I'll take the kids to the lake one day, I don't think they'd mind a sleepover at either grandparents', or I can park them with Kim and Tommy," he winked. "As payback for the two days they stuck us with _their _brood last spring, when Tommy took Kim back to Reefside for his Rangers' ten-year High School reunion!"

She laughed. "I guess so." All five of their combined children were fast friends, just as they had been, and they routinely looked after their respective offspring when one or the other couple had plans.

"So fill in your application; I'll mail it later when I drive to the car wash," Jason suggested. "I'm not in the mood for a water battle with the hellions today."

Kat snickered. "You're just afraid the boys will soak you again."

He put on a holier-than-thou expression. "I'll have you know that both _my_ sons know better than to take on their father with a hose. It's _your _daughter who's getting them into mischief!"

"Riiight."

"She is!"

"Just goes to show that you three males together can't handle a tiny five-year-old girl," Kat said in a very superior voice as she got up and rummaged for a pen in the kitchen drawer. It was something they often teased each other over – besides, deep down she knew that Jason adored his blue-eyed daughter and half the time was happily wrapped around a delicate little finger. Just as Kat was proud of her strong, responsible boys.

She sat back down. "Okay, let's see … name, address, phone/email … check-in time would be Friday noon … oh no!" she suddenly exclaimed, dismayed. "Not _that_ date!"

"Why, what's wrong with it?"

Kat looked unhappily at Jason. "I hadn't noticed before; it's the weekend of our anniversary!"

"Oh."

"Uh huh. So I can't go this year, either," she pouted. "Every year, they're holding the symposium during the school year or somewhere too far away; the _one _time they don't, something else is on that date. No fair!"

Jason's expression was thoughtful for a moment. "Did you have anything special planned for us?"

Kat sighed. "Not yet; it's still three months off, after all. But it's our tenth …"

"Well, yeah. But – don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly wild about being without you that day, either, but … can't we have our usual celebration afterwards, or something? I know you've been wanting to attend that meeting for ages."

Dubiously, she looked at him. "Well, maybe, but …"

Jason smiled and reached for her hand. "Then go."

_-Oh my, it's tempting …- _"Thanks, but I really don't know if I should."

"Hey, it's not that big a deal. Sure, I'd prefer to take you out, but we can always do that another time. Perhaps on October 15?"

The date rang a soft bell in Katherine's mind and heart, and she smiled. It was the twelfth anniversary of the day Jason had proposed to her. _-Not quite as traditional, but pretty momentous, too, bless him!-_

"That'd work," she murmured, already half-persuaded.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he chuckled. "You know you want to go; so register already!"

There was a sudden lump in her throat. Yes, she wanted to attend the symposium, but she _also_ wanted to spend her wedding day with her husband, who could be quite as romantic and sentimental as she herself. Yet Kat couldn't simply dismiss his generous offer out of hand.

"I really don't know …"

Jason nodded firmly. "I think you do. Sure, I'll miss you; I wish they'd have picked the week before or after. But since they didn't and I know you've been dying to attend for ages, I honestly think you should take the opportunity. We can always postpone our private celebration."

Still torn between conflicting desires, Kat went to sit on his lap. Leaning her forehead against Jason's, she stroked his short, dark hair. "Are you sure?" she whispered hesitantly.

"Absolutely." Jason took the chance to kiss his wife's soft lips reassuringly as he held her. "Consider it my anniversary present, if you like."

Suddenly giddy with gratitude and anticipation, Kat kissed him back. "What, no flowers then?"

"They'll be waiting for you when you come back from Vegas," he promised, then decided he might as well get his reward for being so understanding right there and then. "Meanwhile, dear wife of mine, how about we use the time until the kids come home from Tanya's place for _us _and, um, play a little?" He slipped a hand under her t-shirt.

Kat laughed softly and leaned back a little to give Jason more room … and easier access. "Mmm. I like the way you think, husband!"

"Thought you might," Jason murmured huskily and stood, Kat still in his arms. Together, they made their way to the bedroom.

···

Kat hesitated briefly as she entered the hotel's bar. It was Saturday night, her wedding anniversary, and while she would have loved to spend a romantic weekend in the lavish surroundings with Jason, it was not to be. Jason was back home in Angel Grove, probably watching TV or hanging out at some sports event … and she was killing time here in Las Vegas, all by herself, while waiting for the closing banquet to begin. Last night hadn't been too bad; she'd met a number of interesting people at the symposium, and a whole group of them had spent the evening together. Walking the Strip, even gambling a few dollars at one of the casinos, before talking long hours about their students, developments in modern dancing, performances they'd either seen or put on … in all, a very enjoyable experience that had made her temporarily forget that Jason wasn't with her.

Tonight, though, was different. It _was _her anniversary, and she'd felt a little maudlin all day about being alone. During the day, the talks, lectures and workshops had diverted her, but now, when the event was all but over … in her heart, Kat knew that she'd be on the road back home if the banquet wasn't part of the official program and her room already paid for. She vowed to herself that she'd leave Las Vegas right after breakfast; she longed too much for her husband, her home and her family.

Sighing a little, she slid onto a stool at the bar and ordered a light wine. Because summer in the desert was very hot and the dinner was semi-formal, she'd dressed in an ice-blue summer dress that clung to her slender figure; the spaghetti-thin shoulder straps ensured she wouldn't be too warm, and she could show off her nice tan. The amount of cleavage visible made her a little self-conscious, but she _had_ purchased the dress specifically for today; too bad Jason wasn't here to see her wear it!

_-Get a grip, girl! You'll be seeing him tomorrow, and there's no reason to be so down! Why not enjoy your time alone?- _Her pep talk-to-self was no use; Kat vowed that as soon as she decently could she'd leave the banquet and, if it wasn't too late, to call Jason again. _-At least I can lie in that big, comfy bed and hear his voice …-_

A discreet glance at her watch showed that she still had over half an hour before she must leave for the banquet. She'd almost finished her wine and she was trying to decide whether to order another or rather make it a sparkling water when the bar tender suddenly deposited a tall, tulip-shaped glass in front of her – filled with a milky-white liquid, complete with a straw, pink paper umbrella and a pineapple slice stuck on the rim. The scent of rum and coconut filled her nostrils.

"What's this? I didn't order a piña colada," she protested, confused.

The young man grinned. "Courtesy of a gentleman, Ma'am."

"Th-this must be a mistake," she almost stammered.

"I don't think so. The gentleman specifically said 'for the gorgeous blonde in the sexy dress'. You're the only blonde lady present," the bar tender replied. "And if I may be so forward, the description fits you to a T." His look was frankly admiring, but Kat was too flustered to notice.

_-Oh my God, someone's trying to pick me up! I should never have come into the bar by myself, and in this dress!-_

Straightening, Kat tried to gather her composure. She certainly had _no _intention whatsoever of drinking the cocktail, much less letting a complete stranger buy a drink for her. She was a happily married woman, after all! Intending to send her best withering glance – the one that made her students and children quake in their shoes – to the man, she summoned her sternest expression.

"Where is this 'gentleman'?" she asked coolly. _-Hah! As if! No 'gentleman' would do this – Jason certainly wouldn't!-_

The bar tender hid a knowing smile. He'd seen this scenario happen uncounted times. Unobtrusively, he pointed towards the far end of the bar. "Over there, ma'am. In the dark suit."

Kat turned her head slightly into that direction, planning to quell the would-be Casanova with a look, when she felt her heart lurch with surprise. Because as soon as her eyes penetrated the dim lighting, she found herself staring into a pair of very familiar midnight-dark eyes.

_-Oh my.-_

The man lifted his own glass in a smiling salute as he saw her glancing this way, and took a small sip of his own drink.

Suddenly breathless and shaking, Kat reached for the glass and lifted it to her own mouth, molding her lips carefully around the plastic straw. The potent drink was cool and tangy in her mouth, and when she'd swallowed, she smiled and daintily, _seductively_ licked her lips. The man's smile widened; he raised a questioning eyebrow, and she nodded slightly in return. He stood and slowly walked along the bar until he reached the empty stool next to her.

_-He's gorgeous!-_

He was dark-haired and powerfully built; dressed all in black with only a wine-red handkerchief in his breast pocket providing a little bit of color. With his easy stride, he somehow seemed slightly dangerous as he approached. Kat sat in her stool, transfixed.

"You looked as if you might like one of those," he said in a deep, velvety voice. "I hope I've made the right choice."

"Piña colada is my favorite; thank you," she said politely, her mouth dry.

"Good. May I join you?"

"I, um, I don't know," she murmured, flustered.

He chuckled. "I'm sorry; I should probably introduce myself first. I'm … Jay."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Jay," Kat answered, intrigued almost despite her will. "I'm …" she thought quickly, searching for an alias. She really did _not _want to give her identity away! "… Kate."

"As in 'Kiss me, Kate'?" he murmured with a tiny grin that was just a tad naughty.

_-I can't believe I'm doing this! But he's the best-looking guy I've ever met, and … I'm only passing time; it's just … a game!-_

So she replied with a playful look. "Maybe."

"May I find out?" He liked the sparkle in the blue eyes; it promised things he was eager to explore.

"If that's what you want." Good grief, she was actually flirting! She'd _never_ done that before!

"I want. Very much." Jay's voice caressed her as much as the appreciative look he swept over her, from her golden locks to her bare pink-tipped toes peeking out of her sandals. It made Kat feel warm all over, and she took another sip of her drink. -_Ooh. Me, too!-_

He signed for a refill of his own beverage, and while they waited for it to be delivered, he smiled at her. "I'm probably sounding like a cliché, but what's a beautiful woman like you doing all by herself in a Vegas bar on a Saturday night?"

"I'm in town for a conference," she circumscribed lightly. "Business, sort of."

"Ah."

"How about you, Jay? What brings _you _here?"

He waved dismissively. "Personal stuff. I was supposed to meet someone."

"Oh? Someone special?"

He was carefully not looking at her as he replied. "Just an old friend from High School."

_-Old, huh? Like I believe that!- _"Who didn't show up?"

"Haven't seen hide nor hair," he shrugged, then continued with another smile that made her feel hot all over. "But I don't care anymore. I've met _you_."

"How nice," Kat murmured. This 'flirting' business wasn't as easy as it looked! _-But it's fun! With the right person, of course!- _The man sitting so close to her was very much the right person, she decided. "I think I was right."

Somewhat confounded by the non sequitur, Jay tilted his head enquiringly. "About what?"

It was Kat's – no, _Kate's _– turn to send a rather provocative smile across the short distance separating them. "I _am _pleased to meet you. _Very _pleased."

"Great. Then … will you have dinner with me?"

She hesitated. She really ought to attend the banquet; on the other hand, there would likely be a lot of boring speeches, and from what she'd heard from her acquaintances yesterday, the food usually was mediocre at best. There were over a hundred attendees; if her seat remained empty, it might be noted, but she wouldn't be missed. Still, she couldn't afford to be seen in the hotel's dining room – not with a man who wasn't connected with the symposium, anyway!

"I might … where did you have in mind?"

"Not here," Jay assured her, boldly reaching for her hand. Automatically, Kat slid off her bar stool. She came to stand very close, not quite touching, but near enough to sense his body heat. "There's a luau at one of the smaller casinos not far from the Bellagio; and maybe, if you feel like it, we could go dancing afterwards?"

_-Ah, who cares about a boring banquet, anyway?-_

"Sounds just about perfect."

"Then … shall we?" Jay lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back; the intimate gesture made her shiver deliciously. Throwing caution to the wind, she nodded.

"Let's."

···

The luau was everything Kat had hoped for – delicious food in an exotic setting, a great performance by a Hawaiian dance troupe, and a wonderful, attentive companion who served and literally fed her bites of every dish, interspersed with tiny morsels of fruit to clear her palate. He also made sure her mai tai cocktail was constantly refilled. Dinner ended with a simply sinful chocolate mousse, and Kat relished every last bit of it.

"Oh dear, I'm so full, I can hardly move," she groaned as the Master of Ceremonies thanked the guests and the waiters started to clear off the dishes. "But it was worth it!"

"Just as long as you had fun, Kate," Jay said warmly.

"I did; very much so. Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're welcome. It was such a joy to see you enjoy the food; I like that in a woman."

"It was hard _not_ to enjoy it," she answered lightly. "Everything was so perfect." _-Especially the company!-_

Jay helped her up from the low bench she'd been sitting on. As if he'd heard her thought, he spoke softly. "Especially the company. Intelligent, witty … beautiful …" Kat blushed with pleasure at the compliment, but before she could reply, she was rendered speechless by the next as he picked up the lei every guest had received. His was made out of white silk flowers, but hers had been bought from a special vendor wandering by their table. It was fashioned out of real pink orchids, and the sweet scent filled the air as he slipped it over her head. "I feel like I'm gilding the lily. You absolutely don't need any ornaments; not even the prettiest flower could be – or make you – more beautiful than you already are."

As she searched for a word – _any _word – of thanks, Jay put a finger over her lips. The contact sent tingles right down into her toes. "No, don't thank me. I'm only telling the truth."

Kat swallowed hard. After this, how could she not let him take her hand and follow him outside onto the Strip? They wandered through the balmy night air, past the magnificent hotel casinos, marvelling at the fantastic light displays. They spoke very little, but exchanged a lot of glances and smiles. By the time they had almost reached the end of the famous street, Jay's arm was slung around Kat's waist, and she'd been tempted more than once to lay her head on that invitingly broad shoulder.

He stopped before a doorway that was less lavishly lit than most. The neon sign above it read simply 'Night Away'. "We're here," Jay murmured into her ear.

Slightly dazed, Kat looked up. "And where, or what, is 'here'?" She frowned at the sign. "What kind of name is 'Night Away'?"

Jay chuckled as he drew her on to the front steps. "It's short for 'dancing the night away'," he explained. "A friend told me about it; it's supposed to be the best dance club in Las Vegas."

_-Dancing? With Jay? Oh my.- _Which, deep in her mind, translated as _-Oh, YES!-_

He looked deep into her eyes. "I'd love nothing more than to hold you," he whispered. "Are you game?"

Was she ever! "Yes."

"Then come."

Inside, the club's atmosphere was intimate; candles burned in multicolored glasses on each table, and the music was perfect – not too loud, so one could talk without shouting, but enough to shield any conversation from being overheard; neither too fast nor too slow. They found a table for two and ordered more drinks – white wine for Kat and a dark burgundy for Jay. He touched his glass to hers in salute.

"To the prettiest woman in Vegas."

"Hardly that," Kat protested, secretly pleased at the compliment. "There must be hundreds of women here who are better-looking than I!"

"Not to me." Somehow, her hand was again clasped in his; this time, his kiss was placed into her palm. Kat gasped softly, but couldn't draw away. Neither could she look away from Jay's heated glance. _-Oh God, I don't even want to stop him!- _To cover her confusion and excitement, she pretended to listen to the new track the DJ was playing. It was a Cool Jazz number, and seemed like the perfect escape.

"I love this song," she said, her usually light voice getting husky. "Can we dance, please?"

Jay smiled. "Certainly." He led her onto the dance floor and drew her into his arms. As they began to sway to the mellow sound of a saxophone, Kat realized her mistake. Dancing with Jay wasn't an escape, it was playing with fire … and she was getting burned. However, she was enjoying herself far too much to notice the embers that had glowed between them from the start turning into red-hot flames.

The fire was still burning brightly when he walked her to her hotel room much later; it was hours after midnight by now, and the corridors were quiet, even for a never-sleeping town like Las Vegas.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," Kat murmured as they reached her door.

"It was entirely my pleasure," Jay replied, taking her key card with a smile. "And ditto." He slid the white plastic rectangle through the appropriate slot, and the door opened with a muted 'snick'.

Kat sighed. She didn't want her time with Jay to end just yet, but it had to eventually. "Good night then," she whispered, trying to keep disappointment and a little sadness out of her voice.

Jay looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Good night, lovely Kate."

"Jay …" No. It was better to end things here, and now. She took a hesitant step into her room; turn-down service had long been by, and the only light came from the nightstand. It was more than intimate, with the ready-to-slip-into bed and drawn curtains; it was an invitation.

"Good night," she repeated. _-I should say good-bye instead ... but I can't!- _Kat was able to say nothing more, but she couldn't command her eyes … which said plenty instead. And Jay, who had read every wish from those deep blue pools all evening, understood their silent message all too well.

"It will be," he murmured. "Because it's not over yet."

Before Kat could react, she found herself in his arms again. He cupped her cheek and gave her an instant to protest what he was about to do. When she didn't, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. With a soft moan, Kat capitulated and responded full-heartedly.

In that moment, the fire became a conflagration, and they almost stumbled into her room. The door clicked shut behind them, and wasn't opened again.

···

The next morning, Kat woke late from a deep sleep. She stretched luxuriously on the soft sheets, but when she reached out to the other side of the rumpled bed, she was startled to find the place beside her empty and already cold.

_-He can't have left me here! Not after what we shared last night!-_

She sat up, the cover falling to her waist. She shivered as a blast from the A/C unit hit her exposed skin; she'd never gotten around to putting on her nightgown. Clutching the top sheet to her chest, Kat glanced around the room – there was nobody there except herself. Still, she hoped …

"Jay?"

No reply. She strained her ears, but nobody stirred in the bathroom, either. Which meant that the man she'd spent all evening and most of the night with really _had_ left her – without a word. Torn between anger and disappointment, she sank back against her pillow.

"I can't believe it!"

Grumbling, she groped blindly towards her nightstand; might as well check her alarm clock and see whether she still had time to have breakfast before she needed to pack and check out. The hotel room was only hers until noon. She fumbled among the items scattered around the lamp.

It was then that she encountered a small package that most certainly hadn't been there the night before.

Wide awake now, Kat sat up and took a closer look. A flat, oblong box wrapped in paper from the hotel gift shop. Fingers shaking, Kat tore off the bow and wrapping, and opened the lid. A carefully-folded note fell into her lap. With bated breath, she read the few lines.

_"Dear, lovely Kate – _

_Thank you for a beautiful memory. Please accept this small token of my appreciation and gratitude, and enjoy it as much as I did spending time with you._

_Jay."_

Beneath the note was a slender bracelet in white gold, set at regular intervals with diamond-cut pink tourmalines. She had admired the bracelet the night before as they passed the store's window on their way out, mentioning that it was a perfect match to a ring she had at home, but never in her wildest dreams had she expected to own it the next day! Jay had been extremely generous. Laughing and crying at the same time, she picked it up and clasped it around her wrist.

"Oh, you …!"

Now feeling buoyant and cheerful, Kat bounded out of bed. Suddenly, and despite the huge dinner she'd had last night, she was ravenously hungry. _-Well, I certainly had more than enough exercize with Jay!- _There just _had_ to be enough time to sample the hotel's breakfast buffet before she left! Humming one of the songs they had danced to, she headed for the shower.

···

Back in Angel Grove by mid-afternoon, Kat let herself in through the garage, dropped her overnight case at the foot of the stairs and ambled through the house in search of her family. Her children were nowhere in sight, but she found Jason lying on the double recliner on the patio, reading a book.

"Hey, I'm home!"

He hadn't heard her enter the house and looked up, pleasantly surprised. "So I see," he grinned, laid his book aside and scooted to one side. "Come here, you!"

Smiling, Kat went and sat down next to him, only to find herself pulled into an enthusiastic bear-hug and an even more enthusiastic kiss. When Jason finally let her up for air, she was laughing with delight. By now, she was lying right next to him, legs intertwined with his and snuggled happily against his broad chest.

"Does that mean you're glad I'm back?"

"You need to ask?" Jason spent the next few minutes showing Kat _exactly _how glad he was.

"If I get a greeting like that every time I spend two nights somewhere else, maybe I should go away more often," she teased, running her fingers through his dark hair.

"No way," Jason vetoed immediately. "I missed you too damn much, and there's no way I'm letting you go off anywhere anytime soon! Not without me, anyway!"

"How nice to know," Kat chuckled, immensely pleased. "So you _did _miss me?"

He grew serious and tightened his embrace. "Very much. The kids did, too, but they had too much fun with my father at the zoo to notice. It was ten times worse for me."

"I'm sorry," Kat apologized. "Where are they, anyway?"

"Over at Rocky's. Don't apologize; you wanted to go to that symposium for ages, and I'm glad you finally got to go. Was it worth it?"

"Oh, yes. The workshops especially … I learned quite a lot. I'll tell you later tonight when I've dug up my notes, okay?"

He nodded agreeably. "Fine by me. Did you attend lectures and stuff all day, or did you have some fun time, too?"

Kat shifted her head to a more comfortable position on Jason's shoulder. "Not during the day, really, but Friday night I went with a group of others to see the sights … gamble a little …" She grinned, waiting for the inevitable question. It wasn't long in coming.

"Gambling, huh? Did you lose much?" His tone was perfectly pitched – a wonderful mixture of alarm and resignation.

_-As if I were a gambling addict and had just fallen off the wagon. Fink!-_

But a quick glance into Jason's eyes told her he trusted her and was just teasing. Sticking out her tongue at him, Kat laughed. "No, worrywart, just $25. Gambling can be fun, but I set myself a limit and stuck to it. I'm not such a thrill junkie that I'd risk anything substantial."

"I know you wouldn't," he soothed. "I'm just messing with you a little."

"Hmph." Her mock pout earned Kat another kiss which she returned with interest.

"And last night?" Jason wanted to know next. He kept his voice deceptively casual. "What did you do then? Anything special?"

_-It was incredibly special, and you know it. After all, you made it so!- _

Kat leaned up on one elbow in order to better see into his eyes. She chose her words with great care.

"Actually, yes. I … played a game."

Was it her imagination, or was that a tiny flame igniting in Jason's eyes?

"A game? Interesting. Did you enjoy playing it?"

She was _not _imagining that Jason's voice had dropped into a low, intimate growl.

"Oh yeah," Kat said softly, memories of the hours spent in Jay's company filling her mind. She had never felt so pampered, or cared for.

"That's great," Jason murmured, stroking her hair. "Would you like to play it again someday?"

_-Would I? WOULD I?-_

"If I can," she whispered. "It was just about the best time of my life."

He gave her a very tender kiss.

"Well then … maybe the next time I can come and play too. What do you think?"

Kat smiled and kissed him back. "I think it'd be wonderful." Her new bracelet sparkled in the sun as she placed her hand on his heart. "In fact … it wouldn't be the same without you ... Jay."

Jason nodded, satisfied, and hugged his wife close. He felt exactly the same way. As the two relaxed in each other's arms, basking in their closeness, he remembered there was one thing left to say. Gazing deeply into Kat's getting-drowsy eyes, Jason put all the love he felt for his wife into his voice.

"Happy Anniversary, lovely Kate."


	6. WorstCase Scenario

_**Disclaimer: **Still not mine etc. etc.  
**Note: **I hope you're in the mood for some angst; I'm working through a few family issues here, sorry. As the subject matter is rather grim, I'm not going to tell you to 'enjoy' the chapter as usual, but still … be so kind to pass by the feedback box on your way out? **DB**_

**Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat**

**#36: Worst-Case Scenario**

_-I really shouldn't.- _

It was almost midnight, on a workday, and as far as that went, definitely the wrong time to be ringing a friend's doorbell, but Jason couldn't help himself. He needed someone to talk to in the worst possible way, and Tommy had come to his mind instantly. Best friend, almost-brother … if _he_ couldn't understand, all the years of their friendship, the closeness they'd always shared would be nothing but a sham.

So Jason didn't hesitate to lean on the bell.

Somewhere above him, he could hear a window being opened.

"Who's there?"

Tommy sounded sleepy and rather annoyed; small wonder, had Jason probably yanked him from the first stages of sleep. And Tommy was _always _a bear when someone woke him.

Jason stepped back from the front door just enough to be recognized.

"It's me, Tom."

"Jase?" Marginally more awake, Tommy leaned out and peered into the darkness. "What are you doing here? Do you know what time-"

"I need you, Bro," Jason interrupted, trying not to shout and wake the whole neighborhood. "Please … let me in!"

There was a moment's pause, then Tommy nodded. "Sure. Hang on, I'll be right down." The window sash was lowered again and there were muted sounds in the house. Then, a light was switched on in the hallway, and barely a minute later Tommy unlocked the door. "Come on in."

Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, Jason closed his eyes in silent thanks for friends who were willing to help first, ask questions later.

"Thanks."

Tying his bathrobe and running a hand through his sleep-mussed hair, Tommy held the door open and stood back, waiting for Jason to step inside. When he didn't, he focussed his eyes. _-Damn, I shouldn't have left my glasses upstairs! The older I get, the less I can see without 'em. Crap.- _"Come in," he repeated. Then, huffing exasperatedly, he grabbed Jason's arm and literally drew him into the house. Jason seemed dazed, and in no condition to move on his own … or make sense for the time being.

A sinking feeling made itself known in the pit of his stomach, and quelling his sudden fear with an effort, Tommy steered Jason into the roomy kitchen. He pushed him onto a chair, switched on the more muted lights over the work surface and fixed his best friend with a stern glance. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

When Jason didn't react, just slumped forward, Tommy ran up the stairs in record time. Up in their bedroom, Kimberly peered sleepily from under the cover.

"What's up?" she slurred, her eyes widening as her husband hastily threw on a track suit and grabbed his glasses.

"I dunno; Jason's downstairs, looking like death warmed over. Something must've happened."

Awake now, Kim sat up. "Oh God – the children?"

Tommy was already halfway out the door again. "No idea yet. Try to get back to sleep; I'll talk to him." He didn't wait to hear her answer. Barely refraining from slamming the bedroom door shut – he did _not _need the kids to wake up, too – he dashed downstairs again.

"Okay, Bro, I'm here. What's wrong?" As quietly as possible, Tommy scooted the second chair next to his best friend. To his dismay, he could see even in the subdued light that faint tremors were racking the broad frame. He laid a soothing hand on Jason's forearm. "Talk to me, Jase"

With a shudder, Jason finally looked up. He was pale, and his expression sent a corresponding shiver of dread down Tommy's spine. "I … it's Kat," he said hoarsely. "She's in hospital."

"Shit," Tommy breathed. "Why? An accident?" An inordinate amount of gruesome possibilities flashed through his mind, from car crashes to household mishaps that had taken a sinister turn. But Jason just shook his head.

"No …"

"Then what? Bro, I'm imagining things which are probably ten times worse than what's actually happening … come on, give. You know I care about her, too."

Jason _did _know; that was one reason why he'd come here in the first place. While anything romantic between his best friend and his wife had died a natural death long ago, there was still a strong bond of affection between them – much like he stil regarded Kimberly as the little sister he'd never had. With an effort, he gathered his wits.

"You know that she hasn't been feeling well all week, right?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah; didn't she have a bad cold, or something? That's why she called Kim to cancel the kids' sleepover this coming weekend; didn't want to infect them."

"Uh huh. Anyway, after dinner Kat started feeling worse; she had trouble breathing, was dizzy and nauseous, and nearly passed out when she tried to go upstairs to the bathroom. I took her temperature, which was over 103 degrees … she was practically burning up."

"Oh boy," Tommy murmured. "Sounds really bad."

"It was," Jason confirmed, shuddering at the memory. "That's when I bundled her up and drove her to the ER. Doc Richards is on vacation, Kat has a couple allergies against some meds, so I figured they could probably help her best at the hospital."

"That was good thinking," Tommy told his friend. "I gather they kept her there?"

Jason swallowed. "Yeah. I drove back home to get a few things for her and our insurance stuff, and when I came back, she was already in intensive care." He looked up, dark eyes haunted. "Tommy, in the half hour I was away, her fever had risen to over 105 degrees already, and they can't get it down!"

Tommy blanched as well. "Oh man." Even if it hadn't been for his scientific training, he knew that was dangerously high. Ever since the children were born, he had become familiar with how fast temperatures could spike for no apparent reason, but Kat was not a child; 105 degrees were really bad in a child, but for an adult it could well be fatal.

"Have they determined a cause yet?" he whispered.

Jason shrugged. "They're guessing viral pneumonia and have put her on antibiotics and stuff, but …"

"Then why are you here and not with her?" Kimberly exclaimed from the doorway – under her breath, because she didn't want to disturb her children, either. Despite Tommy's admonition to go back to sleep, concern and curiosity had driven her downstairs afte him. "I would've thought _nothing _could keep you from Kat's side right now!"

Jason laughed bitterly. "You think I _wanted _to leave Kat? If it had been up to me, not all of our Zords combined could've gotten me out!"

The petite woman came forward, a puzzled frown on her forehead that quickly changed to concern. _-Tommy was right about the way Jase looks; 'like death warmed over' doesn't even come close!- _"Then why … I don't understand," she admitted, sympathy softening her stance. "You should've insisted they let you stay."

"I tried. The staff more or less kicked me out," Jason grumbled. "Said I could do nothing anyway, I was disturbing her … basically, they told me I'd only be in their way. What could I do?"

Tommy sent a quelling glance to his wife. He understood her position only too well; Kim was very protective of her family and friends, but the very _last _thing Jason needed right now was a lecture on how he should've stood his ground. If he knew his best friend at all, Jason already _had _done everything short of physically attacking the doctors and/or nurses, and apparently to no avail.

"You did exactly what I would've done, Bro," he soothed. "Come here to tell us – and now you should go home, in case they call you back. Or did you give them your cell phone number?"

Tommy hated the helpless look that passed across Jason's face and the confused patting-down of his pockets that followed. "I … no … I never can remember that number anyway, and I forgot to take the cell anyway…"

"And you guys say _I'm _the one with the Swiss cheese memory," Tommy joked weakly, but nobody was smiling. "In that case, I'll drive you home; it's quicker that way." _-And probably safer, seeing the state you're in!- "_Aren't the kids alone?"

Numbly, Jason shook his head. "No, I _did_ remember to call my folks. Dad was picking them up when I got Kat's stuff."

"Then you know they're in good hands," Kimberly sighed, relieved. "But Tommy's right; you should be home – just in case."

"I guess …"

_-But you don't want to sit by the phone in an empty house all by yourself, do you, Bro? Well, there's a way around that.- _

"Then come on. Let's get you home," Tommy said firmly. He only needed to exchange a single look with Kimberly to tell her his plans; her slight nod showed him she understood and approved. He reached for Jason's arm, all but dragging him to his feet. "Come on, Bro."

Dazedly, Jason obeyed. Tommy hated the zombie-like movements and lost expression, but knew that if _he _was in Jason's shoes, he probably wouldn't fare much better. Gently, he steered his best friend towards the door. Kim followed a couple of steps behind, restraining herself with difficulty from making suggestions or uttering comforting platitudes that would most likely not register anyway at best – or be taken as condescending at worst. She watched from the doorway as Tommy all but pushed Jason into the passenger seat of his car; Tommy would either walk home once they had news, or she'd pick him up at the Scotts' once the kids were in school.

"Drive carefully," she called out softly as Tommy climbed behind the wheel, and received a grateful, reassuring nod in return. With a sigh, she waited until the car vanished down the street, then went back to bed. If she could sleep at all, it wouldn't be restful.

···

Jason had left the hallway light burning; most likely an oversight, but Tommy was glad for it nonetheless. At least they weren't entering a house that was dark as well as empty.

_-Strange how you can actually feel that nobody's home,- _he mused as he slowly followed Jason into the family room. _-There's almost something in the air that says CRISIS in flashing huge letters. It never felt like this when I came here to water the plants when Jase and Kat were on vacation.-_

He made his way over to the couch and sat down, fighting the need to just curl up and go back to sleep. _-Damn. Getting older sucks; I never had a problem staying awake all night back at school, or college!- _To help him, he fumbled for the dimmer switch on the small lamp in the corner and turned the light to its lowest setting. The shadows in the corners deepened, but at least he could see Jason – observe his restless movements as he prowled around the room. Tommy understood all too well; he wasn't one to sit quietly and wait for … whatever … either. Especially not if there was nothing one could actually _do_. Physical activity seemed to help both him and Jason in situations like these, but the middle of the night was not the time to do yardwork, say, and he seriously doubted that suggesting a sparring session was the right course of action under the circumstances.

_-Jase'll probably deck me if I even hint at moving more than three feet from the phone.-_

Finally, Jason's aimless pacing was too much.

"Sit down, Jase; you're giving me whiplash," Tommy suggested gently. "You're not helping Kat by wearing a rut in the carpet."

With a sigh that more closely resembled a groan, Jason flopped into the nearest armchair. "Can't help myself," he muttered half-defiant, half-sheepishly.

"I know. But you need to reserve your strength; I understand that sleep is impossible for you, but you're gonna need all your strength to see Kat and the kids through this. At least try and catch what rest you can, okay?"

"Yeah …" Exhaustedly, Jason leaned back and closed his eyes. Silence descended between the two men. Tommy was careful to preserve it; maybe it would help to put his friend at least a little at ease. If Jason had sat down next to him, he would've offered him a comforting hug – of the kind Jason used to give to _him _during those trying days when he'd lost his Green Ranger powers, or when Sam Trueheart had died. _-Uh-oh. Don't go there! Sam was just old, and his death was simply the natural end of a long, full life. Kat's nowhere near that, and none of us is ready to give up on her yet!- _

Much to Tommy's surprise, however, it was Jason who broke the silence – and with the very topic he tried so hard not to think about.

"What am I going to do if I lose her, Tom?" Jason mumbled hoarsely into the near-darkness.

Startled out of his own thoughts, Tommy sat up. "Don't even _think _that, Bro!" he said, a bit more sharply than he'd intended. Thankfully, all of their group of friends were still around; while there had been a few close calls over the years due to accidents or illness – Tommy shuddered at the memory of both Kimberly and Rocky's accidents back during their high school days, and never mind the too-many harrowing moments they'd lived through as Rangers – but so far, Fate had decided to take it easy on them all. "Kat's not dead yet, and she's not going to die, either!"

"You don't know that," Jason replied in a low, strained voice. "God, she just had a bad cold; when her fever spiked so high, so suddenly, I nearly went out of my mind."

"So would I have," Tommy said. "And not just if it were Kim; you know I care about Kat, too."

That evoked a small, tired smile from Jason. "Yeah, I know."

While there no longer was any romantic interest between Tommy and Katherine, both Jason and Kimberly were aware that their spouses would always have a special soft spot for each other in their hearts. It took nothing from them, so they accepted it fully … and it had helped to create an even closer bond between the two families.

"Then stop talking as if she's going to die tonight. She's _not_!"

"I wish I could be so sure, Tommy. You didn't see her – she was practically burning up with the fever, and at the same time shaking with cold … she didn't even recognize me at the hospital!"

Tommy felt a cold chill skitter down his spine. His own voice was raspy with worry. "It's not an uncommon side effect of high temperature," he said. _-Damn, I'm starting to sound like Billy!- _

"That's what the ER doc said, too," Jason sighed, running both hands through his hair. "Still …"

"Just try not to think about it, Jase," Tommy pleaded. "Come on, Angel Grove Memorial has a good emergency department; she's in capable hands and I'm positive they'll do their best for her."

"I keep telling myself that, but it's very little use," Jason murmured, then slumped back against the back rest. "If only there was something I could _do_ …"

Tommy understood Jason only too well. They were both men of action, used to solve problems as they occurred both by their wits and by their strength. However, the enemy they were facing now were a few malignant micro-organisms that had chosen to attack Katherine within her body – on a plane where only trained professionals could fight back. Unfortunately, neither Jason nor Tommy's training was of a kind to be able to help. And that very helplessness was probably the worst of all.

There was only one thing Tommy could think of to say.

"You can always pray," he suggested quietly. He knew that Kim was likely doing that very thing right now, and he himself had also sent up a quick but heartfelt plea to the heavens.

"Already did …"

_-Well, duh.-_

"Then do it again. It surely can't hurt."

Once more, there was silence. Occasionally, a rafter creaked somewhere in the house; a couple of cars drove by and once a distant bell tower rang, but other than that, the night was quiet. Only Jason's ragged breathing could be heard in the dimly-lit room, and the soft rustle of fabric when either man shifted in his seat. Time seemed to crawl as the two waited, until at around 3am, Jason stirred and reached for the phone. He dialled the hospital's number and after a short delay of connections, spoke to someone at the ER. Finished, he replaced the receiver and walked over to the window. He stared outside, onto the deserted street, for what seemed like hours to the anxious Tommy.

"Well?" Tommy finally asked with bated breath.

Numbly, Jason shook his head. "Nothing. Still no change."

_-Damn.-_

"I'm sorry, Bro."

Jason made a non-committal sound that could be approval, or just an acknowledgement he'd heard … something. "How am I going to tell the kids if Kat dies, Tommy?" he asked at last, his voice soft, faintly distant. "I mean, it'll be hard enough to tell everybody else … our folks, the gang, her students … but our children? Julia is only nine years old; she still needs her mother!"

"She isn't going to die, Jase," Tommy said, alarmed by the morbid turn his friend's thoughts seemed to take. But Jason didn't, or couldn't, hear him.

"It'll be hard on the boys, too. Jared is old enough to understand, kind of, but I fear he'll go into some kind of withdrawal from everything without Kat. And Kit … he's so much Kat's son, it's scary sometimes. He has her artistry, her sensitivity … I have no idea what he'll react like, or how I'll be able to handle him."

"Kat isn't dead yet, Jason. She's a fighter; and as long as there's life, there's hope." _-Man, I sound lame even to myself!-_

"The longer it takes, the less hope there is," Jason murmured forlornly. "I don't even have the faintest idea on what to do about a funeral … how to go on living without Kat. I have a full-time job, I need to earn a living … how am I supposed to juggle all that with three children? I can't afford day care or a sitter five days a week, and my mother isn't well enough to look after them all the time; it'd be okay for a while, or on occasion, but permanently? No way."

"Jase, don't …"

As if Tommy hadn't interrupted him, Jason went on, in a soft monotone that was dreadful to hear. It spoke too clearly of the fear and anguish he must be feeling.

"Kat's folks have wanted to relocate back to Australia for some time now; they're only staying because they want to be close to their grandchildren. I think they may offer to take the kids with them … and I can't help thinking that it might be the best solution for them. Get a new start, and everything – go away and leave all the bad memories behind. I know they'll take good care of them, too." He swallowed. "But how am I supposed to live through not only losing Kat, but our children as well? I can't afford regular visits halfway around the world, and if they go, I'll be left with nothing, just an empty house and my memories … how am _I _supposed to go on?"

Tommy desperately wanted to contradict Jason, to tell him he was looking at a situation that might well never come to pass – at least, he fervently _hoped _it wouldn't, but by now anything he could say would just be yet another, rather empty phrase. Still, like a mantra he repeated what he'd said before.

"You won't have to, Bro; Kat's going to live, I'm sure …"

He might as well have kept his mouth shut; Jason just rambled on, painting a picture so bleak and dark it made Tommy nearly physically ill. With every word, Tommy could clearly hear the fear and pain his best friend was experiencing, and it seemed a hopeless endeavour to even try and get him to change the subject. Most likely, Jason wouldn't hear him anyway.

_-Dammit, what does it take to get him to shut up? I don't even want to think about Kat being so ill, much less losing her, and here he is, going on and on about what it'd be like if she really died. Can't he see that I'm hurting, too? For him, and with him?-_

With an effort, Tommy attempted a balancing act between tuning out most of what Jason was saying while still watching him intently, poised to jump in with a – hopefully – comforting word, a hug … or whatever else might be needed and/or appropriate. It was more difficult than he'd ever imagined. Letting his mind wander a little as he sat in the dimly-lit room, Tommy was somehow reminded of the times when he and Jason had been Rangers together – while Jason was still the Red Ranger and he was wearing his first Green uniform. How often had they sat together like this during a crisis, mostly at the old Command Center, and tried to plan strategies for when things would _really _go to hell in a handbasket? Too often for comfort.

_-Like during that time right after Zedd first showed up, my powers were getting iffier by the day, and the old set of Zords was destroyed … we didn't know yet that Zordon had had a contingency plan for just that situation, and were trying to envision any possible kind of worst-case scenarios. Plus some pretty impossible ones,- _he thought. _-As if anyone can ever think of how bad it can really get. But we sure tried …-_

To be honest, while they hadn't been able to predict much of what they'd had to deal with, these strategy sessions had served a purpose.

_-For one thing, it brought us closer; cemented our friendship in ways that would've taken ages otherwise. We learned how the other thought; what either one of us would do in any given circumstance. For another, while we never were able to use precisely what we'd imagined, a lot of things helped to formulate an action plan at other times. Basically because we'd already thought through several scenarios and could adapt things accordingly. Like some kind of mental shorthand.-_

Tommy permitted himself a slight smile at the memory. Those had been good times, despite the danger, the daily risk-taking and the constant disruption of their normal lives. However, the smile vanished almost as soon as it had appeared; the current situation was too serious, too fraught with very real pain, to indulge in long walks down memory lane. He concentrated briefly on Jason's exhausted musings again.

_-Dammit, he's still coming up with worst-case scenarios! Why can't he stop?-_

Almost right away, he answered himself.

_-He couldn't stop then, either. And once he'd given me the habit, neither could I after I took over the team for him. Man, I remember how pissed Kim used to get with me; the only one who didn't mind was Billy. He thought it was … how'd he put it? Oh yeah … 'as much an act of planning for eventualities as of catharsis'. Because even if we couldn't do a thing but wait because of that stupid 'never escalate a fight until the bad guys force you to' rule, thinking about what we might do given half a chance at least gave us the illusion of doing something. Even if all we did, really, was sit, wait and talk.-_

Suddenly, Tommy gained a new perspective – surprising enough that he straightened from his slouch and looked at his distraught best friend with new eyes.

_-That's exactly what Jason's doing here,- _he realized. _-Trying to think his way through his own ultimate worst-case scenario.- _Jason's nature, while generally thoughtful and anything but shallow, was normally more optimistic. The doom-and-gloom attitude he was displaying at the moment was so disturbing because it usually was _Jason _who tried to cheer others, tried to point out the silver lining in any dark cloud. Only, with things hitting so close to home, it was understandable that for once … he couldn't. So he did the only thing left to him, forced into inaction as he was and being denied even staying with his wife – he tried to plan for a time when everything _might _go wrong in the worst possible way.

_-Because if it does – and I refuse to believe that! – he can just kinda go on autopilot and deal with stuff. It's a coping mechanism, nothing else.-_

Tommy drew a deep breath and released it slowly. Recognizing the underlying – and probably subconscious – reason for his friend's rambling didn't make it much easier to cope with. But now he could draw on experience and their friendship to help … at least a little, anyway. So the next time Jason posed a question on how he could possibly tell his children that their beloved mother might have died, Tommy was able to make a gentle suggestion.

Jason seemed surprised for a moment, but the fleeting look of gratitude and relief in the dark eyes told Tommy he'd finally managed to hit the right track. It was beyond painful to talk about Kat dying, or being dead, for both men, but the knowledge that someone _understood _and was willing to share the pain as fully as possible enabled Jason finally to wind down. His mind, which had gone into overdrive with possibilities of which one was more gruesome than the next, calmed down and seemed to go blessedly blank at last. With a sigh that seemed to rise from the soles of his feet, he sank onto the couch next to Tommy. Both men were silent for several minutes.

"You really think Kat will live?" Jason asked hoarsely into the stillness.

Tommy considered his answer carefully. "I don't know that anymore than you do."

"Tommy ...!"

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Jase. I don't _know_. I _do _know something else, though."

"What's that?" The quiet desperation in Jason's voice tore at Tommy's heart, so he gave his best friend an encouraging smile and gripped his shoulder firmly.

"One, Kat's a fighter. She won't give up easily to a stupid bug she's caught because she loves you, the kids … _life _too much to just fade away. Two, the staff at the hospital know what they're doing. Angel Grove Memorial may not be big, but it _is _one of the best facilities in the state. Three … call me stupid, but I just refuse to believe that fate, whatever, can be so cruel to you, or any of us. We've done our share; we've tried to make the world a better place. After all, we're not asking for the moon and the stars as rewards; all we want is to live our lives in peace and a little happiness. I don't think that's totally unreasonable … do you?"

Jason pondered the words. "I … I guess not," he murmured. "But what if …"

Tommy shook him once, hard. "Jase, stop it!" he commanded firmly. "You've been doing the 'what-if' thing all night; trust me, you've covered every possible angle. Whatever happens, you're prepared. Well, as much as anyone can be, I guess," he amended. "Now's the time to look forward – and I mean that in both senses of the word. Look to the next day, and think of what you can do when Kat recuperates."

"When? Not if?"

"Definitely when," Tommy confirmed. "Now let's go into the kitchen; you must be parched from all the talking. I think we could both use some coffee."

Jason let himself be dragged halfway upright before he balked. "I can't leave the phone," he mumbled. Tommy rolled his eyes and with a final jerk managed to get his friend fully on his feet. Giving Jason a push, he pointed towards the kitchen door.

"Two words: kitchen extension," he said dryly. "Or take the mobile unit along. Your choice."

"Oh. I'd forgotten," Jason said sheepishly.

"It's okay; we all have our idiot moments now and then. Now go already. Or _I'll _make the coffee."

That, at last, brought a fleeting smile to Jason's stressed expression and propelled him out of the living room. "No thanks. I'll make it myself; I'm not sure they'd let me share a room with Kat at the hospital when I have a heart attack from caffeine overload."

_-YES!- _"My coffee's not _that _bad," Tommy protested, smothering a relieved grin. Seemed as if he'd managed to bring Jason out of his funk at last, however briefly. The crisis was far from over, but at least they were having a brief respite from worrying over it. He blew a raspberry at Jason's back when he passed him, tossing a "Wanna bet?" Tommy's way.

···

The sky was turning a glorious shade of dusky pink and orange in the east when the phone rang at last. Wired from a sleepless night and too much coffee, Jason and Tommy jerked upright from the couch where they'd returned. Wide-eyed and suddenly pale, Jason stared at the shrilling plastic device lying on the low table.

"T-the phone's ringing," he mumbled stupidly, stating the obvious.

"Yes," Tommy confirmed, feeling his own heart beat like a triphammer in his chest. It had to be the hospital; it just _had _to. "You gotta pick it up, you know. Or you can't talk to whoever's calling."

"Yeah." Still, it took another four rings until Jason managed to lift the receiver with shaking hands. His voice was hardly recognizable as he answered. "Hello." Realizing that he'd managed little more than a croak, he swallowed several times, then spoke in a slightly stronger tone. "Scott residence."

Tommy waited with bated breath for the conversation to end. Jason had turned away from him so he couldn't see his expression, and his monosyllabic replies didn't provide much of a clue, either. The only thing Tommy did manage to discern was that the person on the other end _was _from the hospital, but only because Jason finished the call with a quiet "thank you, doctor", thumbed off the phone and carefully laid it back onto the charger. He still wouldn't look at Tommy.

_-No … please, no …-_

"Jase? What is it?" Tommy could barely speak himself, he was so nervous. "Talk to me, Bro, please!"

At last, Jason looked up. There were tears in his eyes as he sought for words. Tommy felt his throat clam up with dread. "Jase?" he whispered, fighting to retain hope. Had the worst-case scenario arrived after all? It took him a second to understand what Jason was saying, his voice a mere shadow of sound.

"The fever broke an hour ago. Kat is sleeping quietly now."

_-Thank you, God!-_

"Aw, man …!" At a loss for anything else to say, Tommy just reached out and drew Jason into a fierce hug, letting his action convey his relief and gratitude towards a fate that was merciful after all.

"Uh huh." Jason returned Tommy's embrace with equal fervor. He was too drained to speak or even think; all he knew was that his wife would return to him safe and sound after a while … and that he couldn't have weathered this night of fear and uncertainty without his best friend at his side.

"I'm so glad for you," Tommy murmured, sending a quick, silent prayer to whichever deity was listening. He held Jason tightly, knowing that the other probably needed the physical contact to ground himself again. Jason shuddered and gasped a little; before Tommy could wonder what he was thinking, he felt hot moisture seep into the collar of his sweatshirt, and the broad shoulders began to shake with subdued sobs.

"Ssshh, Bro, it's okay …"

Sighing a little, Tommy waited out the mini-storm; Jason rarely cried, but he had more than ample reason to tonight. Tommy was just glad they were tears of relief and joy, not of sorrow and pain. He rubbed soothing circles on Jason's back, waiting for his friend to calm down. At last, Jason quieted a little and released the death grip he'd had on Tommy.

"Sorry," he murmured, flushing slightly as he noticed the moist spot his tears had left on Tommy's shoulder. "Didn't mean to get you all wet."

Tommy grinned. "Don't mention it. I've had worse with the kids in my time." _-From upchuck to pee – as have you, Bro.-_

"Mmm." Jason still seemed rather dazed, so Tommy decided it was up to him to be practical. Again.

"So Kat's gonna be fine?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah … she's still pretty weak, and they want to keep her in hospital for a week or so; through the antibiotics at least, but barring complications, she should be okay soon."

"That's great news," Tommy said sincerely. "The best, really. So, when can you go see her?"

"I'm going right now," Jason replied, looking vaguely around the room and patting his pocket for something. "Where are my keys?"

Tommy snatched them up just in time. "Here, but you can't drive; your car is still at my house, remember?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. I'll take Kat's car," Jason murmured, still obviously disoriented.

"No, you're not," Tommy stopped him. He deliberately ignored the hurt/indignant look Jason sent him. "Listen – I know you want to be with Kat as soon as possible, and I'm not gonna stop you. I'd want to be with Kim, too, if she were in hospital. But you're in no condition to drive, Bro."

"I'm not sleepy at all," Jason protested.

"No – just beat from a night of worrying, and all wired from too much caffeine," Tommy said wryly. "I know _I'm _totally keyed up, but I'm at least in a little better shape than you."

"I'm not waiting until later to see Kat!"

"Nobody's saying you should," Tommy said firmly, glaring Jason into silence. "What I _am _saying, though, is that you should go take a shower, pack a bag with a few more things for Kat -- she'll want a pretty nightgown, maybe a book and, well, _stuff_ -- and then _I'll _drive you to the hospital. You can walk home later, come crash at our place or take a cab home whenever and Kim or I will get your car here later today. How's that sound?"

"Okay, I guess," Jason grudgingly admitted. He really wanted to be with his wife as soon as possible, but there was much in favor of Tommy's suggestion. How much became obvious when he suddenly had to fight an enormous yawn.

To his credit, and Jason's gratitude, Tommy refrained from saying 'I told you so'. He just repeated his plan.

"Go shower. Meanwhile, I'll call your parents so they have good news for the kids when they come down for breakfast."

Jason blushed. He'd all but forgotten about the rest of his family! "Right. Gimme five minutes." Before he could embarrass himself further, he left the room and nearly sprinted up the stairs. Tommy chuckled, shook his head and went for the phone.

"You're welcome, Bro," he murmured, knowing that Jason would thank him for being there later. Not that he needed to, or Tommy needed to hear the words. They were friends, almost brothers; some things just went without saying.

Upstairs, he could hear the muted rush of water hitting tiles in the shower; Jason really would be ready in the five minutes he'd requested. Stifling his own yawns as exhaustion after the long, anxiety-filled night began to settle in, Tommy began to dial. He had phone calls to make, and go back home to his own wife and children.

Kat was going to live, and all would be well again in time.

Which, all things considered, was the best-case scenario.


End file.
